New Brunswick Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream

• The business must have started as a career objective. Businesses created solely for immigration purposes are ineligible.
• The applicant must provide active and on-going participation in the day-to-day management and direction of the business from within New Brunswick by:
  • assuming risk and influencing the direction of the business; and
  • being present at the business premises on a day-to-day basis.
• The business must be in sound financial health. This means that it must be producing revenue and earning sufficient profits to allow the owner to become economically established in the province. An Audit Opinion and Special Purpose Report from a designated NB Audit Verifier will be required to assess the financial health of the business.
• The business must be established as a sole proprietorship or corporation.
• The business must be a continued operation of an existing business or the establishment of a new business.
• The business must be a for-profit entity with the primary purpose of earning profits through the sale of goods and/or services.
• The business must be considered a “permanent establishment” as defined under subsection 400(2) of the Canadian Income Tax Regulations, 1985
• The business must create significant economic benefit through:
  • increased value-added manufacturing or processing for New Brunswick exports;
  • enhanced research and development;
  • development of new products and/or services;
  • development of innovative approaches to traditional businesses;
  • development of new technologies;
  • enhanced technology commercialization;
  • the transfer of technology and specialized knowledge to New Brunswick; and
  • providing products and/or services to an under-served local or regional market.
• The business must pay income tax on taxable income earned in the province, regardless of income or other taxes which may also be payable in other jurisdictions as a result of income earned or other business activity.
• The business must comply with all legislation in the province including, but not limited to, the: Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• The business must comply with all Canadian laws in establishing, purchasing and maintaining the business.
• The business must obtain the necessary licenses and permits, etc. from all applicable municipal, provincial and/or federal authorities.
• The applicant must commit to not selling the business for a minimum of three years after receiving permanent residence in Canada.

The following business activities are not eligible for the New Brunswick Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial stream:

• adult services including but not limited to the production, distribution and/or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products and/or services,
• and/or the provision of sexually oriented services;
• aestheticians and services;
• beauty salons;
• bed and breakfast accommodations;
• coin operated;
• consultancy (business or agency that offers expert professional advice in a field);
• cooperative (business or organization owned and operated by its member);
• credit or debit cards (active or inactive);
• domain names;
• a farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income;financial brokerage (business that derives its prime source of income
• from acting as an intermediary for buyers and sellers)
• financial services including, but not limited to cooperatives and/or credit unions;
• home-based and/or businesses operating from a residential property;
• landlord property and rental management;
• not-for-profit businesses and organizations;
• property investment (purchase of real estate for the intention of earning a return on the investment, either through rental income, the future resale of the property or both);
• professional practices and services where the applicant fails to provide proof of licensing and/or accreditation in New Brunswick;
• secured loans where items of personal property are used as collateral (i.e. pawnbrokers); and
• short-term borrowing including, but not limited to, payday loan, cheque cashing, money changing and cash machines.

The following business activities may be eligible for the Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream if the applicant can demonstrate real economic benefit to New Brunswick:

• brokerage in business, insurance and real estate;
• e-commerce or online businesses where the service or product is new to the Canadian marketplace is a significantly improved version of existing services and products, and where products are warehoused in New Brunswick;
• inn or boutique hotel that has at least five rental units, each having at least a three-piece bath; revenues of at least CAD $100,000 and has eligible operating expenses of at least CAD $75,000 in the last operating year, supported by financial statements and tax returns;
• real estate construction and/or development; and
• reseller of goods and/or services where the business provides value-added services such as repairs, refurbishing or recycling.

The following business characteristics are not eligible for the New Brunswick Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream if the business:

• is an immigration-linked passive investment scheme pursuant to Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations section 87(5)b and as defined by IRPR 87(9);
• is conducted remotely from a jurisdiction outside New Brunswick; offers products and/or services that are primarily used during a certain time of the year;
• promotes and/or sells controlled substances and illegal drugs, prescription drugs and items used to manufacture controlled substances and/or drug paraphernalia;
• promotes and/or sells illegal items and items that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activities including, but not limited to counterfeit products, copies of movies, software and trademarks, etc.; and
• that by association could bring the department into disrepute.