New Brunswick’s Strategic Initiative: A Pathway for French-Speaking Newcomers
If you or your clients speak French and want to build a life in Canada outside Quebec, New Brunswick has a stream worth knowing about. The New Brunswick Strategic Initiative, part of the province’s Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), is designed for French-speaking people who want to live and work in the province and have the skills, education and experience to help its economy grow.
Who can apply?
Every candidate must meet a common set of requirements:
Be at least 19 years old
Hold at least a Canadian high school diploma, or its foreign equivalent
Reach at least level 5 in all four French language skills (NCLC)
Have at least one year of qualifying work experience within the past five years (waived for graduates of a New Brunswick post-secondary institution)
Meet the proof of funds requirement (waived if you already live in New Brunswick or hold a valid job offer from a New Brunswick employer)
Score at least 65/100 on the selection factor grid
Candidates must then qualify under one of three pathways.
The three pathways
1. Francophone Workers in New Brunswick
This pathway suits people who are working in, or have accepted, a permanent, full-time, year-round job with an eligible employer. The employer must have been actively operating in the province for the past 12 months. Candidates must also meet the job’s requirements under the National Occupational Classification and have lived in New Brunswick for at least six months. That residence requirement doesn’t apply if the job offer came through a Government of New Brunswick recruitment mission.
2. New Brunswick Francophone Priorities
This pathway has two routes:
Francophone graduates who live in New Brunswick, completed an in-person program of at least one year at the Université de Moncton or the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB), and were physically in the province for the whole program.
Letter of interest holders who have received a letter of interest from Immigration New Brunswick.
3. Francophones Working Remotely in New Brunswick
This pathway is for people who have lived in the province for 12 months while working remotely the entire time for a Canadian employer located outside Quebec.
How to apply
Start by reading the application guide for your pathway and the province’s important information for all candidates. Then review the main NBPNP page for how expressions of interest, invitations to apply, nomination applications and post-nomination steps work.
Submitting an expression of interest is free. Before you submit a complete nomination application, you must pay a non-refundable fee of $250. Applications are completed with PDF forms. The Consent and Declaration (NB-005) is required, and others apply depending on your situation, such as employment information, use of a representative, or a common-law union declaration.
What this means for employers and candidates
For employers, this stream is a way to retain French-speaking workers already on their team, or to recruit through government-led missions. For candidates, the most useful points are the pathway-specific waivers, such as the work experience exemption for local graduates and the proof of funds exemption for those already in the province or holding a job offer.
Because eligibility depends on language scores, work history, points and the right pathway, a careful review before applying can prevent costly mistakes.
Need help?
At HR Immigration, we can also help you assess your eligibility and prepare your application. Contact us today!