The New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream is one of the NBPNP streams, designed for experienced entrepreneurs and senior managers to apply for Canada PR through it. Entrepreneurs who wish to establish, operate, and manage their business in New Brunswick on a day-to-day basis, may be eligible to obtain permanent residence through the Business Immigration Stream of NBPNP.
The New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream has replaced the earlier Entrepreneurial Stream of the province.
NB Business Immigration Stream Overview
Eligibility Requirements
Meeting the eligibility criteria of the stream are necessary but in any case, it does not guarantee that you will be nominated by the province just on the premises of meeting the requirements. Moreover, you have to meet the requirements at the time you are creating an EOI, applying for a work permit support letter, and receiving a nomination.
The eligibility requirements of the NB Business Immigration Stream are:
1. Business Requirements
The candidate’s business needs to:
- be established as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation (however, if there are partners, they must be Canadian PRs or citizens)
- provide economic benefits to the province
- either be a newly established business or one that already exists
- be established as a “permanent establishment”
- be in the private-sector; the primary purpose of the business must be to earn profits through sale of goods and services, etc.
2. Economic Benefit
The Government of New Brunswick (GNB) may process some applications faster if they show the great potential to provide economic benefits to NB.
3. Investment
If the candidate is investing in a business, they must:
- not make an investment of less than CAN$150,000 (investment must include- rent, leasing costs, wage, other expenses)
- have at least 33.3% equity in the business
The equity investment by the candidate includes the following:
- Building of the business premises
- Candidate must offer necessary equipments to employees
- Must invest in equipments needed for production of goods and services
- Take care of the first half a year of utilities cost, employee wages, operation cost, rent
- Invest in the initial inventory
- Other requirements
Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list.
4. Purchasing an Existing Business
In case the candidate is buying an existing business, they need to demonstrate that the business:
- was run by the same owner for the last 3 years, who must be a PR/citizen
- will be bought at a fair price
- achieved a net profit for a minimum of last 2 out of 3 years
- hasn’t been filed for bankruptcy or not in receivership for last 3 years
- will keep the existing staff employed on similar conditions as before
- will meet other requirements
5. Creation of Jobs
The business has to create at least 1 job for a Canadian PR or a citizen, who must not be in any kind of relationship with the candidate.
6. Operating & Managing the Business
The candidate must take care of the whole operation and management of the business.
7. Net Worth Verification Report
Upon receiving an Invitation to Apply, the candidate must obtain a Net Worth Verification Report from a professional accounting service provider. Such service providers are designated by the GNB and they will create a report outlining:
- total verifiable personal net worth
- details of accumulated funds
- any concerns that require investigations
The Personal Net Worth Verifiers are:
| 1. Grant Thornton LLP Nick Ross 570 Queen St, 4th Floor PO Box 1054 Fredericton, NB E3B 5C2 Tel: 506-858-2525 Fax: 506-453-7029 Email:[email protected] Website:www.grantthornton.ca | 2. MDD Forensic Accountants Jarrett Reaume 1959 Upper Water Street, Suite 1301 Halifax, NS B3J 3N2 Tel: 902-406-8886 Fax: 902-422-2388 Email: [email protected] Website:https://mdd.com/ | 3. MNP LLP Roy Tong, Senior Manager, Provincial Nominee Program Services Suite 2200, MNP Tower, 1021 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC V6E 0C3 Tel: 1-778-374-2102 Fax: 604.685.8594 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.mnp.ca |
You must choose any one of these to get your personal net worth verified. If you do not, your nomination will be refused.
If you take any kind of aid from the service providers with your Business Plan, your application will be rejected.
GNB might also reject or refuse your application if it finds insufficient evidence to verify your net worth and funds.
8. Residing in NB
While you are establishing your business in NB, you need to live within 100 km radius of the business and live in NB at least 75% of the time.
9. Site Visit
Before GNB sends you a nomination, a site visit with you will be scheduled. Along with a site visit, GNB may also conduct an interview at the business site.
The interview and site visit is required to make sure that you are complying with the terms and conditions as set out in the Business Performance Agreement (BPA). During the site visit, if the interviewer requires a document or any information, you must provide so. There might be a few unannounced site visits during the business establishment.
10. Eligible Seasonal Business
There are some seasonal businesses that qualify for this stream:
- Agriculture
- Occupation must have been in operation for at least 9 out of 12 months
- Farm size must be at least 100 hectares
- Business plan will be evaluated by an authority committee
- Tourism
- Occupation must have been in operation for at least 9 out of 12 months
- Must be in operation for at least 6 out of 12 months in case the eligible equity investment is more than CAN$1 million
- Business plan will be evaluated by an authority committee
11. Key Sectors
Some key sectors of the New Brunswick are:
- Healthcare
- Tourism
- Manufacturing
- Cybersecurity
- Digital Health
- Food and Beverages
Note: We have only listed some of the key sectors and not an exhaustive list as GNB may change the list anytime.
12. Ineligible Business
Some businesses that GNB considers ineligible for NB Business Immigration Stream are:
- Coin operated businesses
- Bed and breakfast accommodations
- Adult services
- E-commerce or online businesses
- home-based businesses
- NGOs
- Long term care facilities
Note: We have only listed some of the ineligible businesses list as GNB may change the list anytime.
13. Exploratory Visit
The candidate has to visit NB for at least 5 full days to get an understanding of the place where they will be settling down and establishing their business. The candidate cannot count the holidays or weekends or even travel days as the time spent in NB. They are welcome to show they stayed for more than 5 business days.
14. Intend to Live in NB
The candidate must intend to live in NB after becoming a PR.
Selection Factors of NB Business Immigration Stream
Once you ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements, GNB will assess your application based on the following selection factors. You must score at least 65 out of an overall 100 points.
| Factors | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| Age | 10 |
| Language Proficiency | 25 |
| Education | 20 |
| Work Experience or Business Ownership | 15 |
| Business Plan | 25 |
| Adaptability | 5 |
| Personal Net Worth | – |
| Total | 100 |
Age
The age of the candidate must be between 21 to 59 years. As you can see in the table below, the highest one can gain in this criteria is if their age is between 30 to 49 years.
| Age | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| 21-29 | 5 |
| 30-49 | 10 |
| 50-59 | 5 |
Language Proficiency
A candidate has to score at least CLB 5 in each language ability (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking) to be eligible for NB Business Immigration Stream.
| First official language | Points for Each Ability | Maximum Points |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 7+ | 5 | 20 |
| CLB 6 | 4 | |
| CLB 5 | 3 | |
| Second official language | 5 |
Education
The candidate must have at least a high school degree. In case the candidate has completed their education outside of Canada, they must upload an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for the same.
| Education | Points |
|---|---|
| Post-Graduate Master’s Degree or PhD | 20 |
| Post-Graduate Academic Degree | 16 |
| Post-Graduate Diploma | 13 |
| High School | 10 |
Work Experience or Business Ownership
In this criterion, you may either gain points for being a business owner or having work experience as a senior manager.
| Work Experience | Business Ownership | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years of experience in last 10 years | – Owned at least 51% of a company in private sector- Acted as the primary decision maker- At least 2 full-time employees worked under you | 15 |
| 6–9 years of experience in last 10 | 12 | |
| 3 years of experience in last 5 | 8 | |
| Work Experience | Senior management experience | Points |
| 10 years of experience in last 10 years | – Were a senior manager- Acted as the primary decision maker- At least 2 full-time employees worked under you | 9 |
| 6–9 years of experience in last 10 | 7 | |
| 3 years of experience in last 5 | 5 |
Business Plan
The candidate has to submit a business plan at the time they create an Expression of Interest (EOI).
| Business Plan | Points |
|---|---|
| Visited New Brunswick for at least 5 days and included the trip report with EOI | 5 |
| Transferred at least 5 years of experience of business ownership in the same industry | 4 |
| Business is established outside of Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton regions | 5 |
| Invested over CAN$500,000 Invested between CAN$150,000 to CAN$499,999 | 2 3 |
| Included relevant statutes, regulations, by-laws and accreditation requirements (related to their business plan) | 3 |
| Included relevant research and detailed market research | 5 |
Adaptability
The candidate may receive points if their spouse or partner meets the language requirements or worked or studied in New Brunswick.
| Adaptability | Points |
|---|---|
| Studied full-time for a year at an NB post-secondary institution (must be over 17 years old) | 5 |
| Worked 6 continuous months in NB | |
| Has CLB/NCLC 5 |
Personal Net Worth
You won’t receive any points for your and your spouse/partner’s collective personal net worth, but the net worth must still make up at least CAN$500,000.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Follow these steps to become a permanent resident through the NB Business Immigration Stream:
- Step 1: Be Ready to Apply for PR
- Step 2: Create and Submit EOI
- Step 3: Get Invited to Apply
- Step 4: Apply for Provincial Nomination
- Step 5: Receive a Work Permit Letter of Support
- Step 6: Establish Your Business in NB
- Step 7: Apply for Canada PR
Step 1: Be Ready to Apply for PR
It’s a requirement for each NBPNP program that whenever a candidate is applying to become a provincial nominee through it, they first have to make sure that they qualify for Canada PR. At all stages of the nomination process, the candidate has to be eligible to apply permanent residence.
Moreover, you must have all the required documents and meet the eligibility requirements and selection factors of the Business Immigration Stream. Hence, the candidate has to be prepared to submit an application at any time.
Step 2: Create and Submit EOI
Go to the Immigration New Brunswick (INB) and create your INB account. After that, provide the information as required to create an Expression of Interest (EOI).
This is a very crucial step as the GNB will select candidates based on this information and if they meet the eligibility criteria (including the selection factor points) or not. Hence, it is required that you must keep the EOI profile updated with all the recent happenings in your life.
For instance, if there has been a change in your marital life, say you got divorced, you have to show the same in your EOI profile. Not updating the same conditions in your profile can lead to the refusal of your application.
Once you are done creating the EOI, submit it. It will show that you want to immigrate to NBPNP. Along with the EOI, the candidate has to submit their Business Plan.
An EOI remains valid for about 12 months or a year in the pool with other EOIs. If you are not invited to apply within this time frame, you need to create another EOI and begin the process from the start.
Step 3: Get Invited to Apply
Based upon your EOI, the GNB will send you an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Keep in mind that receiving an ITA does not mean that your nomination application will be approved.
Step 4: Apply for Provincial Nomination
After you receive an ITA, submit a complete application within 90 days. Before submitting the application, you have to pay the processing fee of CAN$2,000. The GNB will review your application to assess whether or not you meet the eligibility requirements, selection factors, etc.
To process your application, GNB may require you to provide more information and/or additional documents. You must comply with the information requirements and provide the same within the time limit provided by the GNB. If you fail to provide the required documents/information, GNB may refuse your application.
NOTE: NB Business Immigration Stream Document Checklist
You might also be asked to attend an interview to further verify the information provided by you in your application.
Step 5: Receive a Work Permit Letter of Support
If GNB approves your nomination application, it will upload the same decision on your account. The GNB may also issue you a Work Permit Letter of Support if they see fit. Using the letter of support, you can apply for a Canadian work permit to IRCC.
However, before GNB can issue you a letter of support, it will mail you to submit a Business Performance Agreement (BPA). Within 60 days of receiving the mail, you must submit a BPA, lest your application will be refused.
Step 6: Establish Your Business in NB
Once IRCC approves your work permit application, arrive in Canada and report your landing to GNB within a month. Since you are on a work permit, start working on establishing your business in NB.
Within 9 months of your arrival in NB, your business must be open. You also need to submit the Report of Business Operating Form to GNB about the same.
The work permit will remain valid for 2 years and within this time length, you must have operated your business for a year. The operation of the business must be in accordance with the BPA submitted by you. This is the fixed 2 year period, called the Business Establishment Period (BEP).
Step 7: Apply for Canada PR
Once you submit a Request For Nomination form, and it’s accepted, you become a provincial nominee and can apply for Canada PR. The PR application will be sent to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and IRCC will make the final decision on your application.
When IRCC approves your application, you will gain permanent residency in Canada.
NB Business Immigration Stream Application Processing Fee
The nomination application fee for New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream is CAN$2,000. You may pay the processing fee using the following payment options:
- Discover
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Debit Card
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