New Brunswick’s 2026 Priority Occupations List covers 33 NOC codes across healthcare, education and construction trades, open only to candidates hired through a Government of New Brunswick recruitment mission.
New Brunswick has released its updated Priority Occupations List for 2026, targeting skilled workers in sectors critical to the province’s economic growth. If your occupation falls on this list, your pathway to Canadian permanent residency through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) could be significantly strengthened.
The June 2026 edition of the official program guide has tightened and clarified several requirements – including a published NOC list, a minimum age, a processing fee and a hard application deadline. This article reflects those changes.
What Is the NB Priority Occupations Pathway?
The New Brunswick Priority Occupations pathway is one of three categories under the New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream. Unlike the NB Experience and NB Graduates pathways, the Priority Occupations category is specifically designed for candidates who receive a job offer as a direct result of a government-led recruitment mission.
This means the job offer must come through an official recruitment initiative organised by the Government of New Brunswick – not through a private job search or employer outreach. Employers interested in these missions are directed to WorkingNB.
ImmigrationNB also refers to this pathway as New Brunswick Priorities in its invitation round tables. Both names describe the same pathway.
What Changed for 2026
The core structure of the pathway is unchanged, but several details were confirmed or tightened in the 2026-06 guide and in ImmigrationNB’s 2026 notices:
- A published NOC list. Thirty-three specific NOC codes across three sectors are now named in the guide. If your code is not listed, the pathway is closed to you.
- A minimum age of 19.
- A minimum education floor – at least a Canadian high school diploma, or a foreign high school diploma with a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
- A CAD $250 non-refundable processing fee, payable only after you receive an Invitation to Apply.
- A 20-calendar-day deadline to submit a complete application after an ITA is issued.
- Sector restrictions effective February 3, 2026 that closed the Skilled Worker Stream to the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) plus 14 additional NOC codes regardless of sector.
- A further restriction effective May 4, 2026 limiting all new ITAs under the NB Experience pathway to healthcare, education and construction trades, due to limited remaining nomination allocation.
Key Sectors on the 2026 Priority List
The 2026 Priority Occupations List focuses on three broad sectors with critical labour shortages. Your New Brunswick job offer must be classified under one of the NOC codes below.
Healthcare
New Brunswick continues to face significant healthcare workforce gaps. The province’s aging population and expanding healthcare infrastructure make this the highest-demand sector for 2026 – healthcare occupations were targeted in every NBPNP selection round held in July 2026.
Eligible healthcare NOC codes:
- 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- 32101 – Licensed practical nurses
- 32109 – Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- 32124 – Pharmacy technicians
- 33101 – Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
- 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers, and related occupations
Physicians should note that this list does not include NOC codes for doctors. Internationally trained physicians typically pursue licensure separately — see our guide to New Brunswick’s Practice Ready Assessment expansion.
Education
Early childhood educators, teaching assistants and education support workers are among the priority occupations. New Brunswick’s investment in early childhood education and K-12 support has created sustained demand for qualified professionals.
Eligible education NOC codes:
- 41220 – Secondary school teachers
- 41221 – Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
- 42201 – Social and community service workers
- 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants
- 43100 – Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
Construction and Skilled Trades
With ongoing infrastructure projects and housing development across the province, construction managers, supervisors and skilled tradespeople are in high demand. This is the largest of the three sectors, covering 20 NOC codes from management through to labourers.
Eligible construction trades NOC codes:
- 70010 – Construction managers
- 70011 – Home building and renovation managers
- 72011 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
- 72014 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
- 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
- 72102 – Sheet metal workers
- 72106 – Welders and related machine operators
- 72200 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- 72201 – Industrial electricians
- 72310 – Carpenters
- 72320 – Bricklayers
- 72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- 72402 – Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
- 72500 – Crane operators
- 73100 – Concrete finishers
- 73102 – Plasterers, drywall installers, finishers and lathers
- 73110 – Roofers and shinglers
- 73200 – Residential and commercial installers and servicers
- 73400 – Heavy equipment operators
- 75110 – Construction trades helpers and labourers
ImmigrationNB reserves the right to restrict individual NOC codes at any time based on labour market conditions, application inventory and remaining nomination allocation. Always confirm your code against the current guide before submitting an Expression of Interest.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify under the NB Priority Occupations pathway, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- Job offer: A full-time, non-seasonal (year-round) job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer who is willing to support your application. Full-time means at least 30 hours per week, or 1,560 hours per year.
- Government-led recruitment: The offer must be a direct result of a recruitment mission led by the Government of New Brunswick.
- NOC code match: Your position must fall under one of the 33 priority NOC codes above, and your job description must match the lead statement and most of the main duties of that code.
- Competitive base wage: Your base wage must sit within the wage range for that occupation in your New Brunswick region according to Job Bank labour market information, and be consistent with your employer’s pay structure. Bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime and housing allowances are excluded from the calculation.
- Work experience: At least one year (1,560 hours) of paid work experience in the same or a related NOC, acquired within the last five years, accumulated over at least 12 months. It may be with more than one employer.
- Education: At minimum a Canadian high school diploma, or a foreign equivalent with an ECA for immigration purposes that is less than five years old. Your education must also meet the NOC requirements for the position.
- Language proficiency: CLB/NCLC 4 or higher in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
- Settlement intent: You must demonstrate your intent and ability to live and work in New Brunswick permanently.
- Age: You must be at least 19 years old.
- Licensing: If your occupation is designated or regulated in New Brunswick, you need the appropriate licence or certificate.
Minimum Language Test Scores
| Test | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| IELTS – General Training | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 |
| CELPIP – General | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| PTE Core | 33 | 41 | 28 | 42 |
| TEF Canada | 306 | 268 | 306 | 328 |
| TCF Canada | 342 | 4 | 331 | 4 |
Test reports must be less than two years old on the day you apply to ImmigrationNB. You cannot combine scores from two test reports if the more recent one falls below the required level.
What Your Employer Must Demonstrate
Your application depends on your employer meeting ImmigrationNB’s requirements as well as your own:
- Valid registration with New Brunswick’s Registry of Employers of Foreign Workers
- Active operation in New Brunswick for at least the past 24 months, from a physical premises with a street address, signage and telephone service in the organisation’s name
- A genuine employer-employee relationship – placement agencies hiring you to work for a third party cannot support your application, and neither you nor your spouse may be a majority shareholder
- Evidence of genuine recruitment: at least two recruitment methods, with job advertisements active for at least four weeks in the six months before the offer
- A completed and signed NB-004 Employment Information form
- Willingness to submit an offer of employment and pay the CAD $230 federal employer compliance fee through IRCC’s Employer Portal – this fee cannot be recovered from you in any way
Who Should Not Apply
ImmigrationNB directs you not to apply if you:
- are currently enrolled in post-secondary education in Canada
- have an immigration application in process in any Canadian province or territory
- have been refused for misrepresentation through any immigration program in the past five years
- are not living lawfully in your current country of residence
- have been refused admission to, or ordered to leave, Canada or any other country
- are working in Canada without authorization
- have an active, approved or failed refugee protection or humanitarian and compassionate claim in Canada
Application Process
- Job offer: Accept a genuine job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer obtained through a government-led recruitment mission.
- Expression of Interest (EOI): Submit a free EOI through the INB portal. EOIs sit in the NBPNP candidate pool and remain valid for 365 days from submission. They are not processed on a first-come, first-served basis – withdrawing and resubmitting an updated EOI does not put you at the back of a queue.
- Invitation to Apply (ITA): If selected, ImmigrationNB issues an ITA through your INB portal.
- Nomination application: Submit a complete application and pay the CAD $250 processing fee within 20 calendar days of the ITA. Miss the deadline and you must submit a new EOI, with no guarantee of reselection. The deadline stated in your own ITA letter governs.
- Assessment: ImmigrationNB checks completeness first, then assesses against the guide. You may be asked for additional documents, an interview, or receive a procedural fairness letter.
- Provincial decision: If nominated, your nomination certificate is issued through the INB portal and expires six months from the date of issue.
- Federal PR application: Apply to IRCC for permanent residence before your certificate expires. IRCC has the final say – a provincial nomination does not guarantee approval.
- Landing: Report your landing through the INB portal within 30 days of receiving your Confirmation of Permanent Residence.
For a broader walk-through of provincial nomination documentation, see our guide to the documents required and application process for a PNP.
Fees at a Glance
| Item | Amount (CAD) | Paid by | When |
| Expression of Interest | Free | – | At EOI submission |
| ImmigrationNB processing fee | $250, non-refundable | Applicant | After ITA, via INB portal |
| Family members on the same application | No additional fee | – | – |
| IRCC employer compliance fee | $230 | Employer (not recoverable from you) | With the offer of employment |
| Federal PR application and right of permanent residence fees | Charged separately by IRCC | Applicant | At PR application |
Confirm current federal fee amounts on IRCC’s fee schedule before paying – they were last revised on April 30, 2026.
Where This Pathway Sits in 2026 Draw Activity
Understanding the pathway’s actual draw history matters more than the eligibility rules alone, because ImmigrationNB selects by pathway and by sector in each round.
ImmigrationNB’s published 2026 invitation table shows five Skilled Worker Stream rounds between January and early May 2026, issuing 919 invitations in total — every one of those published rounds named only the NB Experience and NB Graduates pathways.
The picture changed in mid-July. Between July 16 and July 18, 2026, New Brunswick held two Skilled Worker Stream rounds issuing 267 invitations in total:
- July 16–18 round: NB Experience and NB Priorities pathways, targeting construction trades and healthcare – 58 invitations
- July 18 round: NB Graduates pathway, targeting eight occupational categories – 209 invitations
Two practical takeaways:
- The Priority Occupations pathway is genuinely active, but it draws in small volumes and in tight sector bands. A construction trades or healthcare offer is currently the strongest position to hold.
- Volume across the wider NBPNP remains healthy. In the same July 16-22 window New Brunswick issued 750 invitations in total across the Skilled Worker Stream, Strategic Initiative, Express Entry Stream and the Atlantic Immigration Program. If the Priority Occupations pathway does not fit your profile, another New Brunswick route may.
French-speaking candidates in particular should look at the Strategic Initiative Stream, which issued 254 invitations in its July 16 round across seven occupational categories. Our Francophone immigration services page covers those options.
Why New Brunswick Remains a Strong PR Pathway
- Canada’s only officially bilingual province – French-speaking candidates can meet the language requirement through TEF Canada or TCF Canada and access dedicated francophone streams.
- A CLB/NCLC 4 minimum, which is lower than most provincial skilled worker streams.
- No cost to enter the pool – EOIs are free, and the $250 provincial fee only applies once you have been invited.
- No additional provincial fee for family members included on your application.
- Consistent draw activity – 919 Skilled Worker invitations from January to early May 2026, plus 267 more in mid-July.
- A generally lower cost of living than Canada’s largest urban centres.
- Broad demand across the wider NBPNP – while the Priority Occupations pathway is limited to three sectors, New Brunswick’s other streams invited candidates in manufacturing, transportation, professional and IT, and sales and services occupations in July 2026.
Sector Restrictions to Be Aware Of
Effective February 3, 2026, ImmigrationNB stopped considering EOIs and issuing ITAs under the New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream and the New Brunswick Express Entry Stream to candidates working in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72). The restriction includes, but is not limited to:
- 60030 – Restaurant and food service managers
- 62020 – Food service supervisors
- 62021 – Executive housekeepers
- 62024 – Cleaning supervisors
- 62200 – Chefs
- 63200 – Cooks
- 63202 – Bakers
- 64300 – Maîtres d’hôtel and hosts/hostesses
- 64301 – Bartenders
- 64314 – Hotel front desk clerks
- 65200 – Food and beverage servers
- 65201 – Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related occupations
- 65310 – Light duty cleaners
Important exception: candidates in these roles can still submit an EOI if their employer is not directly in the accommodation or food services sector. A cook employed by a hospital, for example, may still be considered.
A second list is restricted regardless of the employer’s sector:
- 14400 – Shippers and receivers
- 60020 – Retail and wholesale trade managers
- 62010 – Retail sales supervisors
- 62101 – Retail and wholesale buyers
- 63201 – Butchers, retail and wholesale
- 64100 – Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers
- 64409 – Other customer and information services representatives
- 65100 – Cashiers
- 65101 – Service station attendants
- 65102 – Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers
- 65202 – Meat cutters and fishmongers, retail and wholesale
- 94142 – Fish and seafood plant workers
- 95106 – Labourers in food and beverage processing
- 95107 – Labourers in fish and seafood processing
Separately, effective May 4, 2026 and until further notice, all new ITAs under the NB Experience pathway are limited to healthcare, education and construction trades, which ImmigrationNB attributes to limited remaining allocation under the stream.
Always verify your occupation’s eligibility on the official ImmigrationNB website before submitting an EOI.
Comparing the Three Skilled Worker Pathways
| NB Priority Occupations | NB Experience | NB Graduates | |
| Who it targets | Candidates recruited through a GNB-led mission | Workers already employed in New Brunswick | Graduates of eligible NB post-secondary programs |
| Job offer required | Yes, via government recruitment mission | Yes, plus at least 6 months with the employer | Yes, or an accepted offer |
| Must be in NB already | No | Yes | Yes |
| NOC restriction | 33 listed priority codes only | Currently limited to healthcare, education and construction trades | Broader — eight categories invited in July 2026 |
| July 2026 invitations | Included in the 58-ITA July 16–18 round | Included in the same round | 209 |
If you are already working in the province, the NB Experience route is usually the more direct option. Overseas candidates without a GNB recruitment offer should review the full range of New Brunswick immigration pathways before committing to a strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NOC codes are on the 2026 New Brunswick Priority Occupations List?
Thirty-three: 8 in healthcare, 5 in education and 20 in construction trades.
Can I apply if I found the job myself?
No. Under this pathway the job offer must be a direct result of a recruitment mission led by the Government of New Brunswick. A privately sourced offer may qualify you for a different NBPNP stream instead.
How much does the NB Priority Occupations pathway cost?
Submitting an EOI is free. If you receive an ITA, you pay a non-refundable CAD $250 processing fee to ImmigrationNB. There is no additional provincial fee for family members. Federal IRCC fees are charged separately.
How long do I have to apply after receiving an ITA?
Twenty calendar days from the date the ITA is issued, according to the 2026-06 program guide. The deadline stated in your own ITA letter is the one that applies.
Does a New Brunswick nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. A nomination certificate supports your federal application but IRCC makes the final decision on permanent residence. The certificate expires six months from issue, so the federal application must be filed before then.
What language score do I need?
CLB or NCLC 4 in all four abilities. On IELTS General Training that is 3.5 reading, 4.0 writing, 4.5 listening and 4.0 speaking.
How Earnest Immigration Can Help
At Earnest Immigration and Citizenship Services Inc., our RCIC-licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants help you navigate every step of the Canadian immigration process. Whether you need a profile assessment, NOC and wage verification against the current priority list, application preparation within ITA deadlines, or strategic planning across provincial nominee options, our experienced team is here to guide you.
Provincial priorities, allocations and restricted occupation lists change frequently. Confirm current eligibility before acting on any pathway.
