The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) invited applicants in a few in-demand occupations for its first drawings of the year on March 5 and 6.
In light of a drastically decreased provincial immigration allotment in 2025, the province sought to better connect immigration streams with labor market objectives, which led to these recent draws.
This year, New Brunswick has been allotted 2,750 provincial immigration spaces, 1,500 of which will be distributed under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and 1,250 under the NBPNP.
This piece will discuss
Information on the first draw in New Brunswick and a summary of modifications to the NBPNP’s immigration initiatives.
Results of provincial immigration (8–14 March)
New Brunswick
Under two paths of the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream, the NBPNP held its first provincial immigration draw of the year on March 5 and 6. Applicants were asked to apply under
Pathways for skilled workers in New Brunswick include
- New Brunswick Experience pathway
- New Brunswick Graduates pathway.
Priority candidates in particular professions are drawn for invitations to apply (ITAs) for provincial nominations. The following occupations were targeted in these draws:
Social and community services, healthcare, education, and construction trades.
Candidates received a total of 498 ITAs from this draw. A cut-off score for this draw was not disclosed by the NBPNP.
Three distinct pathways have emerged from the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream as of 2025. The stream consists of the New Brunswick Priority Occupations pathway and the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream, in addition to the two pathways already mentioned.
Candidates in these particular paths must fulfill extra eligibility requirements, which are outlined below, in addition to fulfilling the requirements for baseline eligibility for the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream:
| Pathway | Eligibility Criteria |
| New Brunswick Experience | Currently working full-time in a non-seasonal position for an eligible New Brunswick employer. |
| Employer is willing to support the application. | |
| Have worked full-time for the same employer for at least 6 consecutive months while living in the province. | |
| New Brunswick Graduates | Completed a program eligible for a PGWP at a DLI in New Brunswick. |
| Currently working full-time in a non-seasonal position for an eligible New Brunswick employer or have accepted an offer for such a position. | |
| Employer is willing to support the application. | |
| New Brunswick Priority Occupations | Accepted a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer. |
| Employer is willing to support the application. | |
| The job offer resulted from a recruitment mission led by the Government of New Brunswick. | |
| The position must be in a priority NOC code as specified in the program guide. | |
| At least 1 year of paid work experience related to the position. |
Modifications to the 2025 NBPNP
To maximize its limited provincial nomination allocation, New Brunswick has made substantial adjustments to its immigration streams.
Specifically, the intake of immigrants from three of the province’s streams has changed. Below is a summary of the changes made to these streams:
| Stream Name | Updates | Occupations Not Considered |
| New Brunswick Express Entry Stream | Additions: Accepting EOIs under two pathways starting March 5, 2025: 1) Employment in New Brunswick pathway; and 2) New Brunswick Interests pathway. Discontinuations: The New Brunswick Student Connection pathway will not return in 2025. | NOC 12200 – Accounting technicians and bookkeepers NOC 13110 – Administrative assistants NOC 60020 – Retail and wholesale trade managers NOC 60030 – Restaurant and food service managers NOC 62010 – Retail sales supervisors NOC 62020 – Food service supervisors NOC 63200 – Cooks NOC 63202 – Bakers |
| New Brunswick Strategic Initiative Stream | Paused for 2025 – The province has sufficient inventory and will not accept new EOIs. Discontinuation: The “In-Person Exploratory Visit to New Brunswick” connection, paused in November 2024, will not return in 2025. | Not applicable |
| New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream | Restructured into three pathways: 1) New Brunswick Experience pathway 2) New Brunswick Graduates pathway 3) New Brunswick Priority Occupations pathway (not accepting submissions at this time). | NOC 12200 – Accounting technicians and bookkeepers NOC 13110 – Administrative assistants NOC 14400 – Shippers and receivers NOC 60020 – Retail and wholesale trade managers NOC 60030 – Restaurant and food service managers NOC 62010 – Retail sales supervisors NOC 62020 – Food service supervisors NOC 63200 – Cooks NOC 63202 – Bakers NOC 64100 – Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers NOC 64301 – Bartenders NOC 64314 – Hotel front desk clerks NOC 64409 – Other customer representativesNOC 65200 – Food and beverage servers NOC 65201 – Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related occupations NOC 94142 – Fish and seafood plant workers NOC 95106 – Labourers in food and beverage processing NOC 95107 – Labourers in fish and seafood |
