New Brunswick Express Entry Stream: Requirements and Pathways

This stream is New Brunswick's link to the federal Express Entry system. You first create a profile with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If Immigration New Brunswick (INB) nominates you, IRCC adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. With those points, you almost always get an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a later federal draw.

To be in the federal pool, you must qualify for one of the federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

See how CRS points work or estimate your score with the CRS calculator.

As of September 2026, every candidate must:

• Be 19 to 55 years old.
• Have a valid profile in the federal Express Entry pool.
• Have at least a Canadian high school diploma or its foreign equivalent.
• Have Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level 7 or higher in all four skills.
• Have at least one year of continuous work experience in the past 10 years in one National Occupational Classification (NOC) code in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities.
• Score at least 67 out of 100 on New Brunswick's selection factor grid.

You must also meet the rules of one of the two pathways below.

Employment in New Brunswick

This pathway suits people already working in the province on a work permit. The 12 months of New Brunswick work can be with one or more employers, but every month must be in a TEER 0 to 3 job.

New Brunswick Interest

You cannot apply to this pathway on your own. New Brunswick searches the federal pool and sends a letter of interest to candidates it wants. If you get one, you then submit your expression of interest to INB. You must show the settlement funds IRCC requires. See proof of funds.

No. The New Brunswick Student connection did not return in 2025. INB says qualifying New Brunswick graduates with eligible jobs can apply under the Employment in New Brunswick pathway instead. Graduates can also look at the New Brunswick Graduates pathway of the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream, which does not need an Express Entry profile.

Since February 3, 2026, INB is not issuing invitations under this stream to candidates working in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72). This includes jobs such as restaurant managers, food service supervisors, chefs, cooks and hotel front desk clerks. These jobs may still qualify if the employer is not in that sector.

Some occupations are excluded in every sector, for example retail and wholesale trade managers, retail sales supervisors, cashiers and shippers and receivers. Because this stream only accepts TEER 0 to 3 experience, many lower-skilled jobs on the list would not qualify anyway.

The list can change during the year. Always check the official notices page before you submit.

Your expression of interest (EOI) stays in the NBPNP candidate pool for 365 days. INB holds scheduled draws and chooses candidates based on labor market needs and the allocation left for the year. It is not first come, first served.

In 2026, INB ran Express Entry draws on several dates. For example, on July 16, 2026 it invited 115 candidates under the Employment in New Brunswick pathway, focused on education, social and community services jobs (source: INB invitation rounds page). Draws can target specific occupation groups, so meeting the minimum does not guarantee an invitation.

The EOI is free. If invited, you pay a non-refundable $250 provincial fee before you submit your full application (as of September 2026). Federal permanent residence fees are separate.

INB checks your application for completeness, then assesses it. If approved, you get a nomination certificate through the INB portal and accept the nomination in your Express Entry profile. After IRCC invites you, you submit your permanent residence application online. Include all family members, even if they are not coming with you.

If your work permit is ending while you wait, you may qualify for a bridging open work permit. Compare this stream with base provincial streams on Express Entry vs PNP.