New Brunswick Invites 379 in First PNP Rounds of 2026

Invitation Breakdown by Stream 

New Brunswick Express Entry Stream (Employment in New Brunswick) 

New Brunswick issued 20 invitations through its Express Entry stream. This round was open to candidates across all sectors, with a cut-off date of January 12, 2026. 

New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream (NB Experience + NB Graduates) 

New Brunswick issued 244 invitations through the Skilled Worker stream, covering both the New Brunswick Experience and New Brunswick Graduates pathways. This was also an all-sectors round with a cut-off date of January 12, 2026. 

New Brunswick Strategic Initiative (Francophone priorities) 

New Brunswick issued 115 invitations through its Strategic Initiative pathway focused on Francophone priorities. Candidates across all sectors are eligible, with a cut-off date of January 12, 2026.

Interestingly, there were no draws under this stream in 2025 – it had been paused due to backlogs. This appears to be the first time candidates have been selected through the Strategic Initiative in over a year. 

Check out our PNP tracker for the latest draw updates 

What This Draw Tells Us 

New Brunswick’s first invitation rounds of 2026 issued 379 invitations across three pathways. This isn’t a dramatic change from late 2025. New Brunswick was already running targeted rounds – like December 9, 2025, when it issued 8 Express Entry invitations and 102 Skilled Worker invitations focused on Francophone candidates. 

One of the biggest updates in this round was the return of the Strategic Initiative (Francophone priorities) pathway. The province issued 115 invitations through this stream, after no draws in 2025. That’s a strong sign that Francophone selection could stay a major theme in 2026. 

That said, we still don’t know what New Brunswick’s year will look like overall, because the province has not shared its 2026 nomination allocation yet. Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan includes a big increase in PNP admissions up to 91,500 in 2026 from 55,000 in 2025 but IRCC hasn’t released the province-by-province breakdown. So it’s unclear how many of those spots New Brunswick will actually receive. 

We do know New Brunswick pushed for more space in 2025. Its total was raised to 4,250 after it secured an extra 1,500 nomination spaces mid-year. 

There’s also a broader federal push that could support more Francophone rounds. On January 19, IRCC announced 5,000 additional PR admissions spots to help provinces and territories welcome more French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec.  

We don’t know yet how (or if) New Brunswick will benefit from that increase. But given the province’s recent Francophone focus, including in late 2025 and the latest 2026 rounds it wouldn’t be surprising to see more Francophone-focused invitation rounds this year. 

What NBPNP Candidates Can Do Next 

If you’re hoping for an invitation from New Brunswick in 2026, the best move right now is to stay ready – especially since the province hasn’t confirmed its 2026 allocation yet. 

Here are a few practical steps: 

• Keep your profile up to date. If your work history, language test, or contact details have changed, update them. Small errors can slow things down later.

• Strengthen your ties to New Brunswick. A valid job offer and recent work experience in the province are often important for selection.

• Francophone candidates should stay alert. With New Brunswick’s focus and the new federal push for French-speaking newcomers, Francophone-focused rounds may continue.

• Watch for allocation news. Once New Brunswick shares its 2026 nomination spaces, we’ll have a better sense of how active draws might be this year. 

To stay on top of New Brunswick draws and other provincial updates, join the Moving2Canada newsletter and follow our PNP tracker for the latest invitation results.