By Hadi Imani, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC #R522575)
New Brunswick is one of the few Canadian provinces where an entrepreneur with a moderate net worth and a realistic business idea can still build a direct path to permanent residence. The New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream (NBBIS), operated under the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), invites experienced business owners and senior managers to establish and actively run a business in the province, and — once the business is genuinely up and running — nominates them for Canadian permanent residence. This guide covers every published requirement as of 2026: the exact financial thresholds, the 65-point selection grid, the step-by-step process from Expression of Interest to nomination, the real fees, and an honest look at where the stream stands this year. Everything below is drawn directly from the official Government of New Brunswick stream page and the current program guide (March 2025 edition).
What Is the New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream?
The NBBIS replaced New Brunswick’s former Entrepreneurial Stream, which is now closed. The government’s own page for the old stream confirms it has been superseded and that its forms are no longer valid. If you find websites still describing an “Entrepreneurial Stream” with a refundable deposit, that information is outdated — the current stream works differently.
The model is a work-permit-first pathway: you are approved on paper, sign a Business Performance Agreement (BPA), come to New Brunswick on a work permit, establish and operate your business, and only then request nomination for permanent residence. Passive investors are explicitly told not to apply — the guide requires you to assume business risk, direct the company, and be physically present at the business day to day.
Core Eligibility Requirements
Personal requirements
- Age: 19 to 59 years old at the time you apply in response to an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Your age locks in when the application is submitted.
- Language: minimum CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) in all four abilities — reading, writing, listening and speaking — proven by an approved test less than two years old at application. Scores from multiple test reports cannot be combined. For reference, CLB 4 equals IELTS General 3.5 (R) / 4.0 (W) / 4.5 (L) / 4.0 (S) or CELPIP 4 across the board.
- Education: at least a Canadian high school diploma or the foreign equivalent. Foreign credentials require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued within the last five years.
- Experience: at least 2 years of qualifying experience within the last 5 years, either as an owner of 51% or more of a private for-profit company or as a senior manager — in both cases managing day-to-day operations and supervising at least two employees.
Financial requirements
- Net worth: at least CAN$500,000 (reduced to CAN$300,000 for agriculture and farming applicants), including spouse or common-law partner assets. Funds must be legally obtained; inheritances or gifts received less than six months before application do not count.
- Verification: after receiving an ITA, you must engage one of three designated firms — Doane Grant Thornton LLP, MDD Forensic Accountants, or MNP LLP — to verify your net worth. The report is due within 90 days of the ITA and is valid for 12 months. Using a non-designated verifier means refusal, and — a trap many applicants miss — engaging any of the three designated verifiers to help with your business plan also results in refusal.
- Investment: a minimum eligible investment of CAN$150,000 before tax, excluding personal-use purchases such as your home or personal vehicle. You must control at least 33.3% equity in the business.
What counts toward the CAN$150,000 investment?
The guide caps several expense categories, so an eligible investment must be structured carefully:
| Expense category | Cap within eligible investment |
|---|---|
| Building or land | Max 25% of total eligible investment |
| Property / leasehold improvements | Max 25% |
| Initial inventory | Max 50% |
| Professional services (North American firms) | Max 4% or CAN$10,000, whichever is lower |
| Vehicle (amortized to business use) | Max 5%, up to CAN$15,000 |
| Primary production / manufacturing equipment | Up to 100% |
| First 6 months of operating costs (rent, utilities, salaries) | Eligible |
Business requirements
- Job creation: at least one full-time job (minimum 30 hours/week) for a permanent resident or Canadian citizen living in New Brunswick — not you, your spouse, or other family members.
- Business form: a private-sector, for-profit sole proprietorship, partnership (only with a PR or Canadian citizen), or corporation that is a “permanent establishment” under s.400(2) of the Income Tax Regulations and of economic benefit to New Brunswick.
- Buying an existing business: permitted only if the same PR/citizen owner has operated it continuously for 3 years, it is purchased at proven fair market value, it showed net profit in at least 2 of the previous 3 years (audited statements plus CRA assessments), existing staff are kept on similar terms, it was not in receivership or bankruptcy in the prior 3 years, and goodwill does not exceed 10% of net book value.
- Presence and management: you must actively manage the business from within New Brunswick, reside in the province for 75% of the 24-month Business Establishment Period, and live within 100 km of your place of business (farmers: on the farm or within 10 km).
- Ineligible businesses include, among others: consultancies, e-commerce and online-only businesses, home-based businesses, bed and breakfasts, small inns with fewer than 5 rental units and under CAN$100,000 revenue, rental property management and property investment, financial services (including payday loans and pawnbrokers), coin-operated businesses, hobby farms, and businesses run remotely from outside the province.
The Selection Grid: 65 Points Out of 100
Meeting the minimums is not enough — after an ITA, your application is scored against a selection grid and must reach at least 65 out of 100 points. The portal generates a preliminary score, but the final score is set by an ImmigrationNB officer.
| Factor | Maximum points | Key breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 10 | 19–49 = 10; 50–59 = 5 |
| First official language | 20 | Per skill: CLB 7+ = 5; CLB 5–6 = 4; CLB 4 = 3 |
| Second official language | 5 | CLB/NCLC 4+ in all four abilities = 5 |
| Education | 20 | Master’s/Ph.D. = 20; 3+ yr degree = 16; 2+ yr diploma = 13; high school = 10 |
| Business ownership (51%+) | 15 | 10 of last 10 yrs = 15; 6–9 yrs = 12; 2 of last 5 yrs = 8 |
| Senior management (alternative) | 9 | 10 of last 10 yrs = 9; 6–9 yrs = 7; 2 of last 5 yrs = 5 |
| Business plan / economic benefit | 25 | Exploratory visit (5+ business days, within 12 months, with report) = 5; 5+ yrs same-sector experience transfer = 4; location outside greater Fredericton/Saint John/Moncton = 5; investment >CAN$500,000 = 3 (CAN$150,000–$499,999 = 2); regulatory/accreditation research = 3; detailed market research = 5 |
| Adaptability (spouse/partner) | 5 | 1+ yr NB post-secondary study, 6+ months NB full-time work, or CLB 4 in all abilities = 5 |
Notice how the grid rewards strategy: locating more than 20 km outside the three major city centres, completing an exploratory visit, and investing above CAN$500,000 together add 13 points that many applicants leave on the table.
Step-by-Step Application Process
- Step 1 — Business plan. Prepare your plan on the mandatory NBBIS-BP template. No feedback is given and amendments are not permitted, and you must be able to defend the plan or be refused — it is worth investing serious effort here before submitting anything.
- Step 2 — Expression of Interest. Create an INB portal account and submit a free EOI with your business plan and checklist documents. Agriculture applicants must also include an exploratory visit trip report and a letter of reference from a Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries business growth officer. An EOI is valid for 12 months.
- Step 3 — Invitation to Apply. If selected, you have 90 calendar days to submit a complete application in the portal and pay the CAN$2,000 fee. Within the same 90 days, your designated net worth verification must be completed and sent directly to ImmigrationNB.
- Step 4 — Assessment. ImmigrationNB assesses eligibility and the 65/100 grid; an interview (in English or French, no interpreters) may be required.
- Step 5 — Business Performance Agreement. If approved, you sign and return the BPA within 60 days of notification, after which the province issues a work permit letter of support at its sole discretion.
- Step 6 — Work permit and relocation. You apply to IRCC for a work permit (IRCC’s decision) and move to New Brunswick.
- Step 7 — Establish the business. Report your arrival within 1 month (form NBBIS-004); request a business plan change within 3 months if needed (NBBIS-007 — consent is not guaranteed); open the business within 9 months of arrival (NBBIS-005).
- Step 8 — Operate and request nomination. Run the business actively for at least 6 consecutive months, meeting your BPA conditions and investment, then submit the Request for Nomination (NBBIS-006). ImmigrationNB reviews your financials and conducts a site visit and interview — unannounced site visits can also occur at any point.
- Step 9 — Permanent residence. With a nomination certificate, you apply to IRCC for PR. All family members must pass medical, security and criminal checks. IRCC’s decision is final — nomination does not guarantee PR.
The guide’s own illustrative timeline runs roughly 15 months from arrival to nomination request: work permit in September, arrival in November, business open by the following August, and nomination request the February after — all inside the fixed 24-month Business Establishment Period.
Fees and Costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Expression of Interest | Free |
| Provincial application fee (after ITA) | CAN$2,000, non-refundable; no extra fee for family members |
| Refundable deposit | None — no deposit is published for this stream (the deposit belonged to the closed Entrepreneurial Stream) |
| Net worth verification report | Paid by you to the designated firm; cost not published officially |
| Exploratory visit | All costs borne by the applicant |
| IRCC work permit and PR fees | Separate federal fees, not published on GNB pages |
The province accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, INTERAC Online and Visa Debit through the INB portal. Instead of holding a deposit, New Brunswick enforces compliance through the BPA, site visits, and — if you fail to report arrival, open on time, or operate for six consecutive months — by reporting non-compliance to IRCC.
Where the Stream Stands in 2026 — An Honest Assessment
As of August 2026, the NBBIS is open and active. The official Important Notices page lists 2026 restrictions only for the Skilled Worker stream, the Express Entry stream, and Atlantic Immigration Program employer designations — nothing pauses or restricts business immigration. That is genuinely good news in a year when several provinces have tightened entrepreneur pathways.
Two honest caveats. First, New Brunswick does not publish draw data for the Business Immigration Stream — the 2026 invitation rounds page covers only the Skilled Worker, Express Entry, Strategic Initiative and AIP streams — so nobody can tell you how many business EOIs are being invited or at what score. Second, the province explicitly states it is unable to provide processing times for individual applications. Any consultant quoting you a guaranteed EOI-to-ITA timeline is guessing. What you can control is the quality of your EOI: a defensible business plan, a clean net worth file, and a score comfortably above 65.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does New Brunswick require a refundable deposit like other provinces?
No. The current guide and stream page publish no deposit requirement at all. The old Entrepreneurial Stream used a deposit mechanism, but that stream is closed. Compliance is instead enforced through the Business Performance Agreement, mandatory reporting forms, and site visits.
Can I buy an existing business instead of starting one?
Yes, but the conditions are strict: three years of continuous operation by the same PR/citizen owner, purchase at proven fair market value, net profit in at least two of the previous three years supported by audited statements and CRA assessments, retention of existing staff on similar terms, no receivership or bankruptcy in the prior three years, and goodwill capped at 10% of net book value.
Is the exploratory visit mandatory?
Only for agriculture applicants, who must complete at least 5 full business days and obtain a government letter of reference before submitting their EOI. For everyone else it is optional — but a properly documented visit within the 12 months before applying earns 5 of the 25 business plan points and materially strengthens your file.
Can my accountant do both my net worth verification and my business plan?
No. The net worth verification must come from one of the three designated firms, and if any of those designated firms helps with your business plan, your application will be refused. Keep the two engagements completely separate.
Does provincial nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. After nomination you still apply to IRCC, where you and all family members must pass medical, security and criminal checks. IRCC has the final say. Situations such as a prior misrepresentation refusal within 5 years, owning a business in another province, or an in-process application elsewhere in Canada also make you ineligible to apply to the NBBIS in the first place.
Ready to Assess Your Eligibility?
The NBBIS rewards preparation: the business plan cannot be amended after submission, the 90-day ITA window is unforgiving, and small structural mistakes — the wrong verifier, an over-capped investment line, an ineligible business concept — lead directly to refusal. As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC #R522575), I help entrepreneurs build New Brunswick files that hold up to officer scrutiny from EOI through nomination.
Start with our free online assessment to see whether you meet the NBBIS thresholds and estimate your score on the 100-point grid, or book a consultation to discuss your business concept, net worth file, and strategy one-on-one.
