{"id":23411,"date":"2026-08-26T09:06:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T05:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/blog\/new-brunswick-entrepreneur-en-tmp\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T09:06:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T05:36:57","slug":"new-brunswick-entrepreneur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/new-brunswick-entrepreneur\/","title":{"rendered":"New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream (NBBIS): The Complete 2026 Guide for Entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Hadi Imani, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC #R522575)<\/em><\/p>\n

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)<\/strong>, 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 \u2014 once the business is genuinely up and running \u2014 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).<\/p>\n

What Is the New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream?<\/h2>\n

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 The government’s own page for the old stream confirms it has been superseded and that its forms are no longer valid. If you find websites still describing an “Entrepreneurial Stream” with a refundable deposit, that information is outdated \u2014 the current stream works differently.<\/p>\n

The model is a work-permit-first pathway<\/strong>: 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 \u2014 the guide requires you to assume business risk, direct the company, and be physically present at the business day to day.<\/p>\n

Core Eligibility Requirements<\/h2>\n

Personal requirements<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Age:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n
  • Language:<\/strong> minimum CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) in all four abilities<\/strong> \u2014 reading, writing, listening and speaking \u2014 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.<\/li>\n
  • Education:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n
  • Experience:<\/strong> at least 2 years of qualifying experience within the last 5 years<\/strong>, either as an owner of 51% or more of a private for-profit company or as a senior manager \u2014 in both cases managing day-to-day operations and supervising at least two employees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Financial requirements<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Net worth:<\/strong> at least CAN$500,000<\/strong> (reduced to CAN$300,000<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n
    • Verification:<\/strong> after receiving an ITA, you must engage one of three designated firms \u2014 Doane Grant Thornton LLP, MDD Forensic Accountants, or MNP LLP \u2014 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 \u2014 a trap many applicants miss \u2014 engaging any of the three designated verifiers to help with your business plan also results in refusal<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    • Investment:<\/strong> a minimum eligible investment of CAN$150,000<\/strong> before tax, excluding personal-use purchases such as your home or personal vehicle. You must control at least 33.3% equity<\/strong> in the business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What counts toward the CAN$150,000 investment?<\/h3>\n

      The guide caps several expense categories, so an eligible investment must be structured carefully:<\/p>\n

      \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Expense category<\/th>\nCap within eligible investment<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
      Building or land<\/td>\nMax 25% of total eligible investment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Property \/ leasehold improvements<\/td>\nMax 25%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Initial inventory<\/td>\nMax 50%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Professional services (North American firms)<\/td>\nMax 4% or CAN$10,000, whichever is lower<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Vehicle (amortized to business use)<\/td>\nMax 5%, up to CAN$15,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Primary production \/ manufacturing equipment<\/td>\nUp to 100%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      First 6 months of operating costs (rent, utilities, salaries)<\/td>\nEligible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

      Business requirements<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Job creation:<\/strong> at least one full-time job (minimum 30 hours\/week) for a permanent resident or Canadian citizen living in New Brunswick \u2014 not you, your spouse, or other family members.<\/li>\n
      • Business form:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n
      • Buying an existing business:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n
      • Presence and management:<\/strong> you must actively manage the business from within New Brunswick, reside in the province for 75% of the 24-month Business Establishment Period<\/strong>, and live within 100 km of your place of business (farmers: on the farm or within 10 km).<\/li>\n
      • Ineligible businesses<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        The Selection Grid: 65 Points Out of 100<\/h2>\n

        Meeting the minimums is not enough \u2014 after an ITA, your application is scored against a selection grid and must reach at least 65 out of 100 points<\/strong>. The portal generates a preliminary score, but the final score is set by an ImmigrationNB officer.<\/p>\n

        \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
        Factor<\/th>\nMaximum points<\/th>\nKey breakdown<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
        Age<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n19\u201349 = 10; 50\u201359 = 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        First official language<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nPer skill: CLB 7+ = 5; CLB 5\u20136 = 4; CLB 4 = 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Second official language<\/td>\n5<\/td>\nCLB\/NCLC 4+ in all four abilities = 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Education<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nMaster’s\/Ph.D. = 20; 3+ yr degree = 16; 2+ yr diploma = 13; high school = 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Business ownership (51%+)<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n10 of last 10 yrs = 15; 6\u20139 yrs = 12; 2 of last 5 yrs = 8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Senior management (alternative)<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n10 of last 10 yrs = 9; 6\u20139 yrs = 7; 2 of last 5 yrs = 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Business plan \/ economic benefit<\/td>\n25<\/td>\nExploratory 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\u2013$499,999 = 2); regulatory\/accreditation research = 3; detailed market research = 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Adaptability (spouse\/partner)<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n1+ yr NB post-secondary study, 6+ months NB full-time work, or CLB 4 in all abilities = 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

        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.<\/p>\n

        Step-by-Step Application Process<\/h2>\n