Maple News reports that New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) is tightening eligibility for its Skilled Worker Stream. Effective May 4, 2026, invitations to apply under the NB Experience pathway will be issued only to candidates employed in three sectors, and only until further notice.
The targeted sectors are healthcare, education, and construction trades. All new invitations under NB Experience will be restricted to these occupations.
The move comes as the province faces a limited number of nomination spaces remaining in the NB Experience stream. While New Brunswick has not published its 2026 nomination total, industry trackers estimate a total of about 3,603 nominations for the year.
The distribution of these nominations across NBPNP streams remains unclear at this time.
For NBPNP candidates whose EOIs fall outside the targeted sectors, NB advises considering other paths if eligible. Options include withdrawing the current EOI and submitting a new one under a different program or stream, or keeping the existing EOI profile and creating a separate INB profile to submit an additional EOI or pursue an Atlantic Immigration Program endorsement, if eligible.
If choosing the second option, applicants will need to use a different email address from the one tied to their NBPNP EOI.
This announcement follows NBPNP changes implemented earlier this year, including February reforms that halted new EOIs and the issuance of ITAs for NB’s accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) within its Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams.
Looking ahead, applicants in non-targeted sectors may want to explore other pathways or provincial programs while NBPNP calibrates its intake.