New Brunswick Issues 750 PNP Invitations — July 2026

What happened: Between July 16 and July 22, 2026, New Brunswick issued 750 invitations to apply for provincial nomination across five draws — three streams of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) plus one draw under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). It is the province’s largest single-week selection window of 2026 to date. The biggest single draw went to French-speaking candidates — 254 invitations under the Strategic Initiative stream on July 16.

Draw-by-draw breakdown

Draw date	Stream	Pathway(s)	ITAs	Cut-off (AST)
July 16, 2026	Strategic Initiative	Francophone Workers in NB; NB Francophone Priorities	254	July 15, 11:59 p.m.
July 16, 2026	NB Express Entry	Employment in New Brunswick	115	July 15, 11:59 p.m.
July 16–18, 2026	NB Skilled Worker	NB Experience; NB Priorities	58	July 15, 11:59 p.m.
July 18, 2026	NB Skilled Worker	NB Graduates	209	July 17, 11:59 p.m.
July 22, 2026	Atlantic Immigration Program	Not stated	114	July 21, 11:59 p.m.
Total			750	—

All numbers above are drawn directly from Immigration New Brunswick’s official Invitation and selection rounds page.

Stream-by-stream: who was actually targeted

Strategic Initiative — 254 ITAs (the biggest draw of the week)

The July 16 Strategic Initiative draw invited candidates under two of the three pathways of the stream:

• Francophone Workers in New Brunswick — French-speaking foreign nationals working full-time for an eligible NB employer (or holding a qualifying job offer) who have either lived in the province at least six months or received the job offer through a Government of New Brunswick-led recruitment mission.
• New Brunswick Francophone Priorities — French-speaking foreign nationals with a priority connection to New Brunswick, including Francophone graduates of eligible provincial post-secondary programs of at least one year, or candidates who received a Letter of Interest from Immigration New Brunswick.

Sectors invited: Education, social and community services; Food and accommodation; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation. Note that “Food and accommodation” appeared here — an important signal, because NB has otherwise restricted several sectors in 2026.

NB Express Entry — 115 ITAs (Employment in New Brunswick pathway)

Under NB’s Express Entry stream, the province drew from the Employment in New Brunswick pathway only (one of the two pathways under this stream). Candidates need an eligible full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a New Brunswick employer in a TEER 0–3 occupation, plus a valid IRCC Express Entry profile, to be considered.

Sectors invited: Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation.

NB Skilled Worker — 267 ITAs across two pathways

• NB Experience + NB Priorities (July 16–18, 58 ITAs) — narrower sector focus of Construction trades and Health care only. This mirrors the May 2026 pivot in which the NB Experience pathway was restricted to healthcare, education, and construction trades.
• NB Graduates (July 18, 209 ITAs) — broad sector coverage: Construction trades; Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Other trades; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation.

Atlantic Immigration Program — 114 ITAs

The July 22 AIP draw covered a wide range of occupational categories: Construction trades; Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Other trades; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation. AIP requires an endorsement from a designated New Brunswick employer and a settlement plan through an approved service provider.

Who qualifies for the Strategic Initiative stream

The Strategic Initiative stream is New Brunswick’s most active pathway in 2026 and rewards French-language ability with a fast track to nomination. To be eligible under either the Francophone Workers in NB pathway or the NB Francophone Priorities pathway, per the official NBPNP program guide:

• At least 19 years old (some pathway limits also cap at 55).
• Genuine intent and ability to live and work in New Brunswick permanently.
• NCLC 5 in all four French abilities (listening, reading, writing, speaking) — TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Scores must be less than two years old at time of application.
• At least a Canadian secondary (high school) diploma or foreign equivalent (with an Educational Credential Assessment where applicable).
• At least one year of qualifying work experience within the past 10 years, or completion of a program of study at least one year long at a designated New Brunswick post-secondary institution.
• Meet the settlement funds requirement (or qualify for an exemption).
• Score at least 65 out of 100 points on the NBPNP Strategic Initiative selection grid.
• Meet the criteria of one of the Francophone pathways (workers pathway = full-time job + 6 months in NB or recruitment-mission offer; priorities pathway = 1-year program at Université de Moncton / CCNB or a Letter of Interest from ImmigrationNB).

Full pathway rules are in the official Guide E — NBPNP Strategic Initiative: NB Francophone Priorities (2026-06).

If you received an ITA this week

1. Read the ITA carefully. Check your dashboard through the INB portal for the exact application deadline. Strategic Initiative candidates receive 20 calendar days to submit a complete application; NB Skilled Worker candidates typically receive 45 days. The deadline in your ITA controls.
2. Pay the CAD $250 non-refundable application fee through your INB account (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, INTERAC Online, or Visa Debit).
3. Build your Settlement Plan (form PCNB-IS-002). This is the single most important document if you are not already living in NB. It must show real research on the local labour market, housing, cost of living, community connections, and integration.
4. Colour PDFs only. Every uploaded document must be a colour PDF. Black-and-white scans and photos are common causes of return-without-processing.
5. Match your NOC to the sectors selected in your draw. If your occupation does not fit one of the sectors listed for your specific draw, this is the moment to speak to a professional — sector mismatch is a preventable refusal.

If you did not receive an ITA — how to position for the next NB round

• Get your French tests done. The math on NB in 2026 is clear: Francophone pathways account for the largest single draws. NCLC 5 in all four abilities is the entry floor for Strategic Initiative — but candidates scoring higher (which affects the point grid) are more competitive.
• Target NB’s priority sectors. Health, education, and construction trades continue to drive draws. If you are not in one of those, look at whether your occupation fits Professional/IT, manufacturing, sales and services, or transportation — those sectors were invited this week under multiple streams.
• Refresh your Expression of Interest. EOIs sit in the pool for 365 days. Update your INB profile immediately if your language scores, work experience, marital status, or address changes — an inaccurate profile at time of ITA is grounds for refusal.
• Skilled Worker candidates — watch the Experience pathway. As of May 4, 2026, the NB Experience pathway under Skilled Worker is restricted to healthcare, education, and construction trades. If you are in another sector already working in NB, look at whether NB Graduates or the Priorities pathway fits your profile.
• AIP candidates — line up your employer endorsement. A designated NB employer + a settlement plan through an approved service provider is the AIP baseline.

How VG Immigration can help

Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB (R708308), reviews NBPNP files across all three streams — Skilled Worker, Strategic Initiative, and Express Entry — plus Atlantic Immigration Program endorsements. Our team helps with sector-fit analysis before you submit your EOI, French-language planning for Strategic Initiative candidates, Settlement Plans that meet ImmigrationNB’s expectations, and 20-day and 45-day sprint packages for ITA-holders. If you were invited in this July 16–22 window, or if you want a candid read on whether you are competitive for the next NB draw, book a consultation.

Sources

• Government of New Brunswick — Invitation and selection rounds
• Government of New Brunswick — NBPNP program streams
• NBPNP Strategic Initiative — NB Francophone Priorities program guide (June 2026)
• Your Guide to the NB Strategic Initiative Stream
• INB portal — Applicant guide
• Government of New Brunswick — Increased 2025 immigration allocation announcement

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not immigration or legal advice. Draw numbers, cut-offs, and sector lists reflect Immigration New Brunswick’s published results as of the article date and are subject to change. See our Legal Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.