The Strategic Initiative focuses on Francophone talent with existing ties to New Brunswick. The program identifies candidates who are already contributing to the province’s workforce or who have been specifically targeted through provincial recruitment efforts.

This pathway generally targets the following categories of applicants:

Francophone Workers in New Brunswick

Applicants who are currently working in the province or have secured a job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer. These candidates must typically have been living in the province for at least six months or have received their job offer through a government-led recruitment mission.

New Brunswick Francophone Priorities

Candidates who meet provincial priorities may also qualify. This includes individuals who:

• Completed at least one year of in-person studies at Université de Moncton or Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, or

• Received a letter of interest from Immigration New Brunswick.

Francophones Working Remotely in New Brunswick

Foreign nationals who have been living in New Brunswick for at least twelve months while working remotely for a Canadian employer located outside Quebec may also qualify under this initiative.

These categories allow the province to attract and retain French-speaking workers who have already demonstrated a commitment to living in New Brunswick.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet both the minimum program requirements and the selection factor score to be considered for nomination.

1. Age

Applicants must be at least 19 years old at the time they submit their application.

2. Intent to Live in New Brunswick

Candidates must demonstrate their intention and ability to live permanently in New Brunswick. Evidence of this may include:

• Current or future employment in the province

• Previous residence in New Brunswick

• Educational history in the province

• Family or community ties

• Professional networks and community involvement

Applicants must show that their primary intention is to settle in New Brunswick rather than another Canadian province.

3. French Language Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate French language ability by taking an approved test:

• Test d’évaluation de français pour le Canada

• Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada

A minimum language level of NCLC 5 is required in:

• Reading

• Writing

• Listening

• Speaking

Language test results must be less than two years old at the time of application.

4. Education

Applicants must have at least a Canadian high school diploma or an equivalent foreign credential.

If the education was completed outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment must confirm the Canadian equivalency of the credential.

5. Employment in New Brunswick

Candidates must be working in a permanent, full-time, non-seasonal position for an eligible New Brunswick employer or have accepted a job offer for such a position.

Full-time employment means:

• At least 30 hours per week, or

• 1,560 hours per year

The wage offered must align with wage standards for the occupation in the region.

If the job is in a regulated profession, the applicant must also hold the appropriate provincial licence or certification.

6. Work Experience

Applicants must demonstrate at least one year of paid work experience related to the job they hold in New Brunswick.

The work experience must:

• Be paid employment

• Total at least 1,560 hours of work

• Have been gained within the last ten years

• Match the duties of the selected National Occupational Classification code

Work experience is not required if the applicant completed at least one year of post-secondary education at a designated learning institution in New Brunswick.

7. Residency in New Brunswick

Most candidates must have lived in New Brunswick for at least six months while holding valid temporary resident status.

This requirement does not apply to applicants who received a job offer through a government recruitment mission.

Selection Factors

If applicants meet the minimum requirements, their application is assessed based on a 100-point selection grid, which evaluates:

• Age

• French language ability

• Education

• Work experience

• Adaptability

Applicants must score at least 65 points to be eligible for nomination.

Adaptability points may be awarded for factors such as previous work or study in New Brunswick, family connections in the province, or a spouse’s language skills.

Employer Requirements

Employers supporting an application must meet several conditions to ensure the job offer is genuine.

Employers must:

• Be registered with the New Brunswick Registry of Employers of Foreign Workers

• Have actively operated in the province for at least 12 months

• Maintain a physical business location in New Brunswick

• Demonstrate a legitimate need to hire a foreign worker

Employers must also show that they attempted to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents before offering the position to a foreign national.