NBPNP 2025: Who Was Invited & What’s Changing for Immigration This Year?
Discover New Brunswick’s first 2025 PNP draws, targeted occupations, and key immigration updates. Learn about new pathways and program changes for applicants.
New Brunswick has initiated its first provincial immigration draws of the year, held on March 5 and 6 under the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP). These draws aimed to align immigration selections with the province’s evolving labor market needs while managing a reduced allocation of immigration spots for 2025.
For this year, New Brunswick has been allocated 2,750 provincial immigration spots, with 1,500 spots under the NBPNP and 1,250 spots through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).
Key Topics Covered:
- Details of the first NBPNP draw in 2025
- Recent modifications to New Brunswick’s immigration programs
First NBPNP Draw of 2025: Key Details
Date & Pathways
The NBPNP conducted its first draw on March 5 and 6, targeting candidates under the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream through the following pathways:
- New Brunswick Experience Pathway
- New Brunswick Graduates Pathway
Targeted Occupations
The draw prioritized candidates in specific sectors, including:
- Healthcare
- Education & Social Services
- Construction Trades
A total of 498 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued. However, no cut-off score was announced for this round.
Skilled Worker Stream Expansion
As of 2025, the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream now includes a third pathway:
- New Brunswick Priority Occupations Pathway (not accepting submissions at this time)
Candidates applying through these pathways must meet specific eligibility requirements:
-
New Brunswick Experience Pathway: Applicants must be currently employed full-time in a non-seasonal role with an eligible New Brunswick employer. Their employer must support the application, and they must have worked full-time for the same employer for at least six consecutive months while residing in the province.
-
New Brunswick Graduates Pathway: Candidates must have completed a program eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in New Brunswick. They must be employed full-time in a non-seasonal position with an eligible employer or have a valid job offer. Employer support is required for the application.
-
New Brunswick Priority Occupations Pathway: Applicants need a secured full-time, non-seasonal job offer from an eligible employer, with employer support for the application. The job offer must result from a government-led recruitment mission and fall under a priority National Occupational Classification (NOC) code as listed in the program guide. Additionally, they must have at least one year of paid work experience related to the position.
Changes to New Brunswick’s Immigration Streams in 2025
Due to a reduced provincial nomination allocation, New Brunswick has made several adjustments to its immigration streams for 2025 to optimize selections.
-
New Brunswick Express Entry Stream: Two new pathways will be available starting March 5, 2025—the Employment in New Brunswick Pathway and the New Brunswick Interests Pathway. However, the New Brunswick Student Connection Pathway will not return in 2025. Occupations excluded from this stream include accounting technicians and bookkeepers, administrative assistants, retail and wholesale trade managers, restaurant and food service managers, retail sales supervisors, food service supervisors, cooks, and bakers.
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New Brunswick Strategic Initiative Stream: This stream has been paused for 2025 due to a sufficient backlog of applications. Additionally, the "In-Person Exploratory Visit to New Brunswick" connection, which was paused in November 2024, will not return.
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New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream: This stream has been restructured into three pathways—New Brunswick Experience Pathway, New Brunswick Graduates Pathway, and New Brunswick Priority Occupations Pathway (which is currently not accepting submissions). The excluded occupations for this stream include accounting technicians and bookkeepers, administrative assistants, shippers and receivers, retail and wholesale trade managers, restaurant and food service managers, retail sales supervisors, food service supervisors, cooks, bakers, retail salespersons and visual merchandisers, bartenders, hotel front desk clerks, other customer representatives, food and beverage servers, food counter attendants and kitchen helpers, fish and seafood plant workers, and labourers in food and beverage processing as well as in fish and seafood.
Conclusion
New Brunswick's first immigration draws of 2025 reflect a more focused approach, targeting high-demand sectors while adjusting immigration streams to maximize the province’s limited allocation. The introduction of new pathways and restructuring of existing programs aims to enhance alignment with labour market needs.
Applicants seeking provincial nomination should carefully review updated eligibility criteria and occupational exclusions to determine their suitability for the NBPNP in 2025.
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