New Brunswick, one of Canada’s most welcoming provinces, has announced the reopening of its immigration programs, bringing exciting opportunities for skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and families looking to make the province their new home.
As of February 5, 2025, New Brunswick has officially reopened its provincial immigration programs, which had been temporarily paused due to federal program changes that reduced the province’s immigration allocation. The provincial government announced that these programs will open in the coming days and encourages applicants to monitor program pages for updates.
New Brunswick Stream and program updates
- This stream is designed for workers with the skills, education, and work experience to contribute to New Brunswick’s economy and who are ready to live and work in the province permanently. It connects to the federal Express Entry system, increasing candidates’ chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Notably, the New Brunswick Student Connection under this stream is not returning for 2025.
- In the coming weeks, the New Brunswick Express Entry stream will start to accept new Expressions of Interest (EOIs) under the:
- – Employment in New Brunswick pathway; and
- – The New Brunswick Interests pathway.
At the current time, candidates in the following occupations will not be considered:
- – Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 12200).
- – Administrative assistants (NOC 13110).
- – Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 60030).
- – Food service supervisors (NOC 62020).
- – Cooks (NOC 63200).
- – Bakers (NOC 63202).
- This stream is designed for foreign nationals who possess the skills, education, and work experience needed to contribute to New Brunswick’s economy. Candidates must have a genuine offer of employment from a New Brunswick employer and intend to live and work in the province permanently. The 2025 iteration of this stream has been updated and now comprises three separate pathways.
| Pathway | Eligibility requirements |
|---|---|
| New Brunswick Work Experience | – Having in a full-time, non-seasonal position for an eligible New Brunswick employer in the last 6 months; and – Must have lived within the province in the last 6 months. |
| New Brunswick Graduates | – Must have completed a program of study that is eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at a New Brunswick Designated Learning Institution (DLI); and – Having a full-time non-seasonal job or job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer. |
| New Brunswick Priority Occupations | – Having a full time, non-seasonal job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer as a result of a recruitment mission led by the Government of New Brunswick; – Must be in a position included within the list of specified priority National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes ; & – Having at least 1 year of experience related to this position. |
At this time the NBPNP will not be considering candidates in the following occupations for the Skilled Worker stream:
- – Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 12200).
- – Administrative assistants (NOC 13110).
- – Shippers and receivers (NOC 14400).
- – Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 60030).
- – Food service supervisors (NOC 62020).
- – Cooks (NOC 63200).
- – Bakers (NOC 63202).
- – Bartenders (NOC 64301).
- – Other customer representatives (NOC 64409).
- – Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200).
- – Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related occupations (NOC 65201).
- – Process control and machine operators – food and beverage processing (NOC 94140).
- – Fish and seafood plant workers (NOC 94142).
- – Laborers in food and beverage processing (NOC 95106).
- – Laborers in fish and seafood (NOC 95107).
- This stream targets specifically at French-speaking skilled workers, this stream supports New Brunswick’s goal of enhancing its bilingual workforce. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to integrate into the province’s labor market and communities effectively.
The “In-Person Exploratory Visit to New Brunswick” connection under this stream was paused in November of 2024, and will not return in 2025.
In 2024, New Brunswick reached its federal-appointed quota for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), leading to temporary pauses in its Express Entry and Skilled Worker streams.
The province is currently adjusting its 2025 provincial economic immigration programs and pathways to align with changes in Canada’s immigration system and to address critical provincial workforce needs and priorities.
