The requirement you cannot arrange yourself
The job offer must come from a provincially led recruitment mission
Not from applying to a New Brunswick employer directly, not from a job board, and not from a private recruiter. The offer must result directly from a Government of New Brunswick led recruitment mission, and that is a condition of the category rather than a preference within it.
You cannot self-select into this route. That is not a criticism of it, it is what it is for, and it is the reason this page is shorter than the others. There is little point setting out the remaining criteria in detail to someone for whom the first one cannot be satisfied.
This is the narrowest of New Brunswick's three Skilled Worker categories, and it exists so the province can convert its own overseas recruitment into nominations. Everything else about it follows from that.
- The occupations mirror the province's priorities. Healthcare, education and construction, which are the same three sectors the New Brunswick Experience category was restricted to on 4 May 2026. The alignment is not coincidental, and it tells you where the province's remaining allocation is going.
- One year of experience, not six months. One year, meaning 1,560 hours, in the same or a related occupation within the last five years. It does not have to have been in Canada, which is the point of an overseas recruitment route.
- Language is CLB 4, but the regulator's standard is the real one. Most of the health and education occupations on the priority list are regulated, and regulators set language requirements considerably above CLB 4. Plan against the higher of the two.
- Being ready matters more than applying. Since you cannot cause a mission to happen, the useful preparation is having the credential assessment, the language test and the licensing enquiry in hand so that you can move when one is announced.
What the Priority Occupations category requires
| Requirement | What New Brunswick asks for |
|---|---|
| Job offer | Permanent, full time and non seasonal, from an eligible New Brunswick employer, in a listed priority occupation, and resulting directly from a Government of New Brunswick led recruitment mission. |
| Work experience | One year, meaning 1,560 hours, of paid work in the same or a related occupation within the last five years. |
| Education | Must meet the requirements of the occupation. |
| Language | At least CLB or NCLC 4 in all four abilities. Where the occupation is regulated, the regulator's own standard is usually materially higher and is the one that governs whether you can work. |
| Age | At least 19. |
| Fees | The expression of interest is free. A processing fee of $250, non-refundable, falls due on invitation, covering a spouse or common-law partner and dependent children at no additional charge. The amount is fixed by New Brunswick Regulation 2012-36 rather than by policy. |
The priority occupation list is published by the province and revised without notice. It is concentrated in healthcare, education and construction. We do not reproduce the occupation codes, because a stale list of eligible occupations reads as authoritative and causes more harm than an absent one.