Immigration to New Brunswick with selection via Express Entry
Several categories of candidates can immigrate to New Brunswick through the NB Express Entry program.
The NB Express Entry stream is designed for candidates who have registered in the Express Entry system and have some connection to New Brunswick province. This could be education, work experience, or having an in-demand occupation in the region.
Requirements
To apply, you must:
- Meet the requirements for one of the federal immigration programs:
- Have 1 year of work experience in a skilled occupation under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the Canadian NOC;
- Have English or French language skills at CLB 7 or NCLC 7;
- Be between 22 and 55 years old;
- Have at least a high school diploma (equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma);
- Be registered in the Express Entry system;
- Score at least 67 out of 100 points in New Brunswick's point system (see below).
Categories
The NB Express Entry stream is divided into three categories based on the candidate's connection to New Brunswick:
- Work Connection. This category is for those who have lived in New Brunswick for at least 6 months, are currently working in the province, or have a job offer from a New Brunswick employer.
- Study Connection. This category is for those who graduated from a New Brunswick educational institution in the last 6 months, are living in the province at the time of application, and are actively seeking work in the province. The educational program must be completed at an institution that qualifies for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). This category also applies to master's and doctoral students; they can apply as soon as their thesis is officially submitted for evaluation.
- Priority Connection. In this category, New Brunswick representatives select candidates from the Express Entry pool and invite them to apply for immigration to the province by sending a letter of interest. Three types of applicants can expect an invitation:
- Candidates who have relatives in New Brunswick, or whose spouse has relatives in New Brunswick. The relative must have been living in the province as a citizen or permanent resident for at least 12 months.
- Candidates who have attended an information session (international recruitment event) organized by New Brunswick in the last 12 months;
- French-speaking candidates with an occupation in demand in New Brunswick.
Candidate Evaluation
To apply, you need to score at least 67 points in New Brunswick's point system. The maximum score is 100 points. Points are awarded for various factors.
Age
| Under 22 | 0 points | 41 | 6 points |
| 22 to 35 | 12 points | 42 | 5 points |
| 36 | 11 points | 43 | 4 points |
| 37 | 10 points | 44 | 3 points |
| 38 | 9 points | 45 | 2 points |
| 39 | 8 points | 46 | 1 point |
| 40 | 7 points | 47 and older | 0 points |
Language Skills
Points are awarded for each skill: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. These should be added up. For example, if your listening and reading are at CLB 7, and writing and speaking are at CLB 8, you'll get a total of 18 points for language skills.
| First Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking | Maximum Points |
| CLB 9+ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
| CLB 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| CLB 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Second Language | |||||
| CLB 5+ in all four skills | 4 | ||||
Education
| Doctoral degree | 25 points |
| Master's degree or professional degree in medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, pharmacy, or chiropractic | 23 points |
| Two or more completed programs, one of which is at least 3 years long | 22 points |
| Bachelor's degree or completed program of at least 3 years | 21 points |
| Completed 2-year program with a degree, diploma, or certificate | 19 points |
| Completed 1-year program with a degree, diploma, or certificate | 15 points |
| High school education | 5 points |
Work Experience
| 6 years or more | 15 points |
| 4 to 5 years | 13 points |
| 2 to 3 years | 11 points |
| 1 year | 9 points |
| Working in New Brunswick at the time of application | up to 10 points |
Adaptability
| Previous work experience | At least 1 year of full-time work in New Brunswick in a position listed in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 categories of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), with a valid work permit or during a period when the candidate was authorized to work in Canada. | 10 points |
| Previous study experience | The candidate has completed at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program of at least two years) at a secondary or post-secondary school in New Brunswick. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week while maintaining good academic standing (as defined by the school) during this time. | 5 points |
| Employment | The candidate has earned points for arranged employment as specified in the section above. | 5 points |
| Family | The candidate or their spouse/common-law partner has a relative aged 18 or older living in New Brunswick as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for at least 12 months. This relative must be one of the following: parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt/uncle (by blood or marriage), or niece/nephew. | 5 points |
Spouse/Partner Factors
| Spouse has English or French language skills at CLB 4 or higher | 5 points |
| Spouse has at least 1 year of work experience in New Brunswick | 5 points |
| Spouse has studied in New Brunswick for at least 2 years | 5 points |
How to Apply
First, you need to create a profile in the Express Entry system. Then, if you meet the requirements for the NB Express Entry stream, you should apply on the official New Brunswick website.
You can learn about other streams of the New Brunswick Provincial Program in the article "Immigration to New Brunswick — Canada's Provincial Program".
If you want to immigrate to Canada and need help choosing the right immigration program and relocation strategy, we recommend contacting a licensed immigration consultant. A well-planned immigration path is your key to success. Book a consultation with us, and we'll help you build your future.
