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TL;DR
New Brunswick is limiting all new Invitations to Apply under the NB Skilled Worker stream's New Brunswick Experience pathway to healthcare, education, and construction trades, effective May 4, 2026.
The restriction is in place "until further notice" due to limited remaining nomination allocation for the year.
Candidates in other occupations can withdraw their EOI and resubmit under another stream, or keep their existing EOI and open a separate INB profile.
The move follows February 2026 changes that already excluded accommodation and food services workers from the province's Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams.
A provincial labour-force report projects 135,700 jobs will need to be filled in New Brunswick between 2025 and 2035.
New Brunswick announced it will limit all new Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the NB Skilled Worker stream's New Brunswick Experience pathway to occupations in healthcare, education, and construction trades, effective May 4, 2026. The restriction applies "until further notice."
The province said the change is "being implemented due to limited remaining allocation under this stream." While New Brunswick has not publicly released a full breakdown of its 2026 nomination allocation, CIC News estimated the province's total allocation at 3,603 for the year, based on recent trends. The province has not said how those nominations are split across streams and pathways.
Who the Skilled Worker stream serves
The NB Skilled Worker stream is designed for foreign nationals who are already employed or hold a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer. The province describes it as a tool for addressing labour shortages in occupations that employers have been unable to fill with permanent residents or Canadian citizens already in the province.
The New Brunswick Experience pathway within that stream is the specific route now subject to the sector restriction.
Options for candidates in other occupations
Candidates who already have an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the NBPNP pool but work outside the targeted sectors have two administrative paths. They can withdraw their existing EOI and submit a new one under a different program or stream. Alternatively, they can keep the existing EOI and create a separate INB profile to submit an additional EOI or, if eligible, an Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) endorsement application.
The second option requires a different email address than the one tied to the existing NBPNP profile.
This follows a broader pattern of restrictions since February
The May 4 restriction follows other limits announced earlier in 2026. On February 3, 2026, New Brunswick stopped accepting EOIs or issuing ITAs to workers in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) under both the Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams. The province also made 14 National Occupational Classification codes ineligible under the Skilled Worker stream, including cashiers (NOC 65100), retail sales supervisors (NOC 62010), and service station attendants (NOC 65101).
The province's own invitation-selection page shows that sector-targeted draws were already underway before the May 4 notice. A May 1 round under the New Brunswick Experience pathway was limited to healthcare candidates, while a May 3 round was open to all sectors. Two days later, the formal restriction took effect.
In March 2026, New Brunswick issued 622 invitations across immigration programs during draws held between March 3 and March 6. Of those, 279 went to Skilled Worker stream candidates in the New Brunswick Experience and New Brunswick Graduates pathways, targeted to healthcare, education, construction trades, and professional occupations.
The province's workforce projections identify demand in some of the targeted sectors. A labour-force report covered by CBC News projected that 135,700 jobs will need to be filled in New Brunswick between 2025 and 2035, including demand in health care, social assistance, and construction. At least 20 per cent of the province's current workforce is over 55 and expected to retire within roughly a decade.
Implications for candidates
If you're in the NBPNP candidate pool and your occupation falls within healthcare, education, or construction trades, the New Brunswick Experience pathway remains open to new ITAs in those sectors. If your occupation is outside those sectors, the province says it will not issue new ITAs through this pathway while the restriction is in place.
Candidates considering profile changes can review the following:
Review whether you qualify for another NB stream, such as the Express Entry stream or Strategic Initiative stream, before withdrawing your current EOI.
If you choose to create a separate INB profile, you'll need a different email address. The province does allow you to maintain your existing EOI while opening a new profile.
Check whether you're eligible for an AIP endorsement application, which operates outside the provincial nominee allocation.
The province has cited limited nomination space for the 2026 restriction.
