The New Brunswick Strategic Initiative Stream is one of the candidate streams of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP). This stream is specially designed for French-speaking or Francophone international workers who are eager to settle in New Brunswick. To immigrate through this stream, one needs to have at least NCLC level 5 in all French abilities, and meet the other eligibility criteria.
A candidate can immigrate to NB through this stream by first applying for an EOI, receiving an ITA from the GNB and then applying for Canada PR to IRCC.
Table of Content
- Eligibility Requirements for Applicants
- Selection Factors
- Eligibility Requirements for Employers
- Document Checklist
- Application Process
- Processing Time & Fee
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Eligibility Requirements for Applicants
To be eligible for the NB Strategic Initiative Stream, an applicant has to meet the requirements at all the stages of application processing, meaning at the time of registration, application, and nomination. However, one must keep in mind that just by meeting the requirements, the provincial nomination is not confirmed to the person.
The minimum eligibility requirements for applicants are provided below:
- Age
- Language
- Education
- Intentions to Reside
- Connection to province
- Proof of Funds
1. Age
Your age must be at least 19 years on the day you submit a complete application to GNB. It doesn’t matter if your age is under 19 at the time of registering with GNB as long as you reach the minimum age limit on time.
2. Language
You must have at least NCLC level 5 for French proficiency, in all abilities. This whole stream is dedicated to French-speakers, hence, French language proficiency plays an important role.
3. Education
You must have completed studying high school in or outside Canada. In case of outside Canada, get an ECA report to demonstrate the same.
4. Intentions to Reside
You must demonstrate intentions to reside in New Brunswick to be eligible for a provincial nomination.
5. Connection to province
Show connection to NB through any of the following ways:
- You visited NB on an exploratory visit
- You must have a valid job offer from an NB employer
- You were directly invited by GNB
6. Proof of Funds
You are financially able to support yourself and your dependents, whether or not they are coming to Canada with you. In case you are already living in New Brunswick, no need to show settlement funds.
Selection Factors
After meeting the minimum eligibility requirements, you must be able to score 65 out of 100 points in the selection factors stage. You will receive points on the following grounds:
| Factors | Maximum Points |
| Official Language | 28 |
| Education | 25 |
| Adaptability | 20 |
| Work Experience | 15 |
| Age | 12 |
| Settlement Plan | – |
Points for Language (Max. 28)
Out of the 100 points, the highest one can gain is through their French language proficiency. To gain points, one must have at least NCLC level 5 in all language abilities.
Take a look at the table below to calculate your points:
| NCLC level | Points for Each Ability | Total Points |
| 7+ | 7 | 28 |
| 6 | 6 | 24 |
| 5 | 5 | 20 |
You may take any one of the following approved language tests:
The minimum scores required for each ability is provided below:
| Test | Points for Reading | Points for Writing | Points for Listening | Points for Speaking |
| TCF Canada | 375 | 6 | 369 | 6 |
| TEF Canada | 352 | 330 | 352 | 387 |
Calculate your TEF Canada test scores:
| NCLC level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 546-699 | 558-699 | 546-699 | 556-699 |
| 9 | 503-545 | 512-557 | 503-545 | 518-555 |
| 8 | 462-502 | 472-511 | 462-502 | 494-517 |
| 7 | 434-461 | 428-471 | 434-461 | 456-493 |
| 6 | 393-433 | 379-427 | 393-433 | 422-455 |
| 5 | 352-392 | 330-378 | 352-392 | 387-421 |
Calculate your TCF Canada test scores:
| NCLC level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 549-699 | 16-20 | 549-699 | 16-20 |
| 9 | 524-548 | 14-15 | 523-548 | 14-15 |
| 8 | 499-523 | 12-13 | 503-522 | 12-13 |
| 7 | 453-498 | 10-11 | 458-502 | 10-11 |
| 6 | 406-452 | 7-9 | 398-457 | 7-9 |
| 5 | 375-405 | 6 | 369-397 | 6 |
Points for Education (Max. 25)
Education gives you the chance to earn the second-highest points (25) for NB Strategic Initiative stream.
| Education Level | Points |
| Ph.D/Masters | 25 |
| Two-year degree | 22 |
| Bachelor’s | 21 |
| Two year degree | 19 |
| One year degree | 17 |
| High School | 15 |
Points for Adaptability (Max. 20)
Some factors could get you to earn higher points. You and your spouse/partner (if they are coming with you) can earn points for the following factors. You may combine factors to earn the highest (20) points.
| Adaptability Factors | Points | Highest Points |
| Exploratory Visit to NB | 15 | 20 |
| Worked in NB | 15 | |
| Job Offer from NB Employer | 15 | |
| One of the family member or relative lives in NB as a PR/citizen | 5 | |
| Studied in NB | 5 | |
| Spouse/Partner has CLB/NCLC level 5 or higher | 5 | |
| Spouse/Partner worked in NB for at least 1 year | 5 |
Points for Work Experience (Max. 15)
You must have worked for at least 1 year (1,560 hours) in the last 10 years in a related NOC code as the one you mentioned in the application.
You may have accumulated this work experience in Canada or another country, and might have gained it under one or more employees, as long as it’s paid.
| Work Experience | Points |
| 6+ years | 15 |
| 4-5 years | 12 |
| 1-3 years | 10 |
Points for Age (Max. 12)
If your age is between the years 25-44, you will gain the highest points for age criteria.
| Age | Points |
| 19-24 | 4 |
| 25-44 | 12 |
| 45-50 | 4 |
Points for SI Settlement Plan
You must present a Strategic Initiative (SI) Settlement Plan which will showcase that you can integrate in the province well. If a person is already living in New Brunswick, they do not need to present a Strategic Initiative Settlement Plan.
Eligibility Requirements for Employers
There are certain eligibility requirements that the employers must meet as well:
- Be in good standing with the GNB
- Must not engage in certain businesses
- demonstrate labour shortages
- Must not misrepresent business opportunities and information
Document Checklist
Once you are invited to apply, you must submit a completed application for nomination in under 45 days. Along with the application, you need to submit these documents:
| Identity and Civil Status Documents | Eligibility Documents | Employment Documents | Other Documents |
| Passport | Language Test Results | Employer Information Form | Consent and Declaration |
| Travel documents | Educational assessment/ECA report | Reference Letter | Use of Representative |
| Birth certificate (Applicant and spouse/partner’s) | Work experience | Work contracts | Affidavit of Translation |
| Marriage, divorce/death certificate | Proof of funds | Work permit | |
| Common-law union | Adaptability | Job advertisements | |
| Children’s information | Settlement Plan | T4 Tax information | |
| Color digital photo | |||
All the documents when uploading must be in PDF format, in English or French language, and in colour, unless the document just contains text, it can be in greyscale. Keep in mind that some of these documents are not mandatory and depend on your situation whether you need to upload them or not.
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Application Process of NB Strategic Initiative Stream
Follow the steps provided below to immigrate to New Brunswick through the Strategic Initiative Stream.
Step 1 – Be PR Ready
No matter which NB immigration program you are applying from, you must always be eligible to apply for permanent residency. Similarly, for this stream as well, before you even create an EOI profile, you must be PR ready.
Step 2 – Create EOI
Once you ascertain that you qualify for PR, create your Expression of Interest (EOI) profile in the INB portal. You must create a candidate profile and keep it updated as per your life circumstances.
Step 3 – Receive ITA
If you meet all the eligibility criteria and your profile qualifies, GNB might send you an invitation to apply (ITA) for provincial nomination. You 45 have days to send a complete application, otherwise your ITA will be removed from your profile.
Step 4 – Submit Nomination Application
Send the application once it’s complete and after paying the processing fee. GNB will assess the application based on the eligibility criteria of the stream.
Step 5 – Receive a Decision
If the application is approved, GNB will issue you a nomination certificate so you can apply for PR. Ensure that you maintain the conditions of your nomination even while you are applying for permanent residency.
Step 6 – Apply for PR to IRCC
You have 6 months before your nomination expires, so you must submit a complete application within these months. The nomination application is submitted to the GNB and the permanent residency application will be submitted to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
IRCC will decide whether or not to approve your PR application.
Step 7 – Receive PR Visa
Once IRCC approves your PR application, it will send you a passport request (PPR) so you can send your passport for visa stamping. Once the PR visa is stamped on your passport, you can travel to Canada as a permanent resident.
Report your landing in New Brunswick within 30 days of arriving in Canada.
Processing Time & Fee
Generally, a nomination application is processed in about 6 months. The nomination application processing fee is CAN$250 when applying through the NB Strategic Initiative Stream.
To pay the processing fee, use the following options:
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Visa
- INTERAC Online
- Discover
- Debit Card
You also need to pay CAN$1,525 for Canada PR application fees as well.
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