New Brunswick Reveals Priority Candidates For Labour Market Stream

The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NB PNP) has revealed which candidates for Canadian immigration through the province’s Express Entry Labour Market Stream are to be considered a priority. Three tiers of priority candidates have been unveiled.

The top priority applicants are those who have a previous connection to the province. After those, priority will be given to those who have attended a NB PNP Information Session in the past 24 months. The third tier of priority candidates are those who demonstrate evidence of their ability to become economically established in New Brunswick, including having training and experience in a high priority sector. (At the time of writing, the NB PNP is not accepting expressions of interest from applicants who are not part of the top or second Priority Applicant groups. This is subject to change.)

Top Priority Applicants: Connection to New Brunswick

The top priority individuals are those who demonstrate a connection to New Brunswick described below. The candidate may:

be working in New Brunswick;
have received post-secondary education credentials from a recognized New Brunswick institution;
have relatives living in New Brunswick as permanent residents or citizens for at least one year;
have worked full-time in New Brunswick for at least one year in the past five years;
have a full-time, permanent offer of employment from a New Brunswick company; or
have as his or her first language French, together with a TEF (Test d'Évaluation de Français) certificate validating the language, and will apply under one of the professions listed below in the third priority candidates section.

The new system of prioritizing certain candidates may be of particular interest to those who speak French as their first language and have experience in a priority occupation, as they will be considered a top priority. People who speak French fluently and have a desire to be part of New Brunswick's vibrant Francophone community are encouraged to submit an expression of interest.

Second Priority Applicants: Attended a (NBPNP) Information Session in the past 24 months

The NB PNP will accept EOI forms on an ongoing basis (unless otherwise noted) from individuals who have attended a NBPNP information session in the past 24 months or met with NBPNP staff at a domestic or international recruitment event.

Candidates must demonstrate that they have attended an information session. For instance, by having registered for the event or communicated with NBPNP staff at one of the events.

Additional priority will be given to individuals who, in addition to meeting Second Priority requirements, also have work experience in a high demand occupation listed below.

Interested individuals in the Philippines should note that four NB PNP Information Sessions will take place later in July, 2015, in Cebu City and Manila. Click here to learn more. Information about other future NB PNP Information Sessions will be posted on that same page.

Third Priority Applicants: Priority Occupations

Note: The NB PNP is not currently accepting expressions of interest from applicants who are not part of the top or second Priority Applicant groups.

Every month, the province may accept a limited number of EOIs from people who must demonstrate their genuine interest in moving to New Brunswick. Candidates must demonstrate evidence of their ability to become economically established in New Brunswick, including having training and experience in a high priority sector, may be considered within this third priority group of applicants.

The following occupations are deemed high priority:

Information technology: programmers, analysts, technical customer support, sales;
Business analysts;
Retail trade managers;
Hospitality managers, chefs with formal professional education;
Manufacturing managers;
Industrial mechanics;
Industrial electricians;
Bookkeepers;
Translators (English-French); and
Financials analysts and accountants (certified in Canada)

All individuals who fit one or more of the prioritized requirements above must also meet the minimum criteria of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) Express Entry Labour Market Stream (EELMS).

About the New Brunswick Express Entry Labour Market Stream

Candidates may complete an EOI form and send it to the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), which receives forms from the 1st to the 15th of each month. Candidates are assigned a score based on the information provided, after which they are assessed according to the following criteria:

Highest score;
Evidence of training and experience in a high priority sector as determined by the province;
Demonstrated ability to become economically established in the province; and
The likelihood of positively contributing to the provincial labour market.

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

All eligibility criteria and selection factors for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (obtaining at least 67 points out of 100);
Provincial criteria, including age (22–55, inclusive); and
A signed commitment to live and work in New Brunswick.

The highest ranked candidates are invited to apply to the NBPNP by email. Applicants to the NBPNP through this stream are processed through the federal government’s Express Entry system. Documented proof of ability to meet all eligibility criteria is required for the NBPNP assessment stage, as well as the federal stage once an Invitation to Apply has been issued through the Express Entry system.

Candidates expressing their interest under this immigration stream are required to have language test scores and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) result (if their education was obtained outside Canada) acceptable to the government of Canada, and document their work experience.

The aforementioned provincial criteria includes a points assessment grid, whereby candidates must score at least 67 out of 100 in order to be eligible. Selection factors include language ability in English and/or French, level of education, work experience, age, whether or not the candidate has an arranged offer of employment in an occupation that falls under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B, and adaptability. The points assessment grid is very similar to the equivalent grid for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, with some minor adjustments to reflect the needs of New Brunswick. Click here to learn more about the points system.

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program, please fill out a free online assessment today.