Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration

Newfoundland and Labrador runs two main economic immigration routes to permanent residence: the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). Both are administered by the province’s Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM), part of the Department of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development.

On This Page, You Will Find:

• What the NLPNP is and who runs it
• How the Expression of Interest model works
• The five NLPNP categories and their criteria
• How Newfoundland and Labrador prioritises candidates
• Invitation rounds in 2026
• The Atlantic Immigration Program and how it interacts with the NLPNP
• Nomination allocations for 2026
• Frequently asked questions

Since February 2025, both routes have shared a single front door. Candidates no longer apply directly. They submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and wait to be invited.

This page explains how that system works in 2026, what each NLPNP category requires, and how many invitations the province has issued this year.

What Is the NLPNP?

The NLPNP allows Newfoundland and Labrador to nominate foreign nationals for Canadian permanent residence. A provincial nomination is not permanent residence in itself. It is an endorsement that supports a separate application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The province says the programme is aimed at two groups: employers facing labour market challenges, and skilled workers, international graduates and entrepreneurs who intend to settle permanently in the province.

The NLPNP is one of the smaller provincial nominee programs by volume, but it is closely tied to sectors the province has struggled to staff, particularly health care.

The Expression of Interest Model

Newfoundland and Labrador abandoned first-come, first-served intake in February 2025 after demand outstripped the number of spaces available in 2024.

The current process has four steps:

• Submit an EOI through the province’s Immigration Accelerator portal. The form captures occupation, education and intention to reside in the province.
• OIM reviews the pool and issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in batches through the year.
• Invited candidates have 60 days to submit a complete NLPNP or AIP application.
• Applicants track progress through an online dashboard until a decision is issued.

An EOI stays in the pool for 12 months. If it is not selected in that window it expires, and a new one must be submitted. Receiving an ITA does not guarantee a nomination – full eligibility must still be established at the application stage.

The same EOI pool feeds both the NLPNP and the AIP, which is why the province publishes its invitation results as a single table split between the two programmes.

How Newfoundland and Labrador Prioritises Candidates

OIM publishes its prioritisation criteria rather than a points grid. The criteria are described as non-exhaustive and can be adjusted during the year to reflect labour market conditions and allocation limits.

Factors the province says it may prioritise include:

• Health and health-related occupations, which continue to receive strong priority
• Sales and service roles in rural or regional communities where employers face persistent recruitment difficulty
• Jobs located outside major urban centres – EOIs tied to the St. John’s metro area may rank lower for some occupations when programme usage is already high
• Occupations underrepresented in the province relative to others, including business and finance, science and research, and trades and transport
• Employers with a record of compliance and good retention of previous hires
• Indicators of long-term retention, such as community ties, family connections or previous residence in the province
• Graduates of Newfoundland and Labrador post-secondary institutions whose skills match priority sectors
• Candidates who support Francophone immigration objectives

Meeting one or more criteria does not guarantee an invitation.

NLPNP Categories

The province currently lists five NLPNP categories.

Express Entry Skilled Worker

For candidates already in the federal Express Entry pool who hold a job or job offer from an eligible Newfoundland and Labrador employer. A provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System score, which in practice guarantees an invitation in a subsequent federal draw.

Skilled Worker

For workers with a full-time job or job offer from an eligible provincial employer who are not applying through Express Entry. Core requirements include:

• A full-time offer of at least 30 hours a week, lasting at least one year with a reasonable expectation of extension
• Wages paid as salary or hourly rate – commission-only roles are not accepted
• Compliance with provincial employment standards and regional prevailing wage rates
• Relevant qualifications, training or accreditation, and the employment requirements of the National Occupational Classification code
• Sufficient settlement funds
• A valid English or French language test for TEER 4 and TEER 5 occupations
• Age 21 to 59
• No more than a 10 per cent ownership stake in the employing business

Applicants in this category cannot hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit. Those who do are directed to the International Graduate category instead.

International Graduate

For graduates working in the province on a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit with a qualifying job offer from an eligible employer. Eligibility criteria include:

• Hold a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) with at least four months validity
• Hold a full-time job or job offer:
  • In TEER 0–3, or TEER 4 (in-demand) occupations
  • From an eligible Newfoundland and Labrador employer
  • Of at least 30 hours a week
  • Lasting at least one year with an expectation of extension
  • Not commission-based
• Be aged 21 to 59
• Meet all National Occupational Classification requirements for the occupation
• Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds
• Intend to live in Newfoundland and Labrador long term
• Work in the field of study, unless the applicant is a graduate of Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic, the job is TEER 0–3 or TEER 4 (in-demand) with career potential, or the job aligns with skills or experience gained in the past five years
• Graduates from outside the province must work at least one year in Newfoundland and Labrador before applying
• TEER 4 applicants must submit language test results – IELTS listening 4.5, reading 3.5, writing 4.0 and speaking 4.0, with CELPIP-G, PTE Core, TEF or TCF equivalents also accepted

International Graduate Entrepreneur

For recent graduates of a Newfoundland and Labrador post-secondary institution who hold a valid PGWP and have started or bought a local business, and who have actively owned and managed it for a continuous period before applying. Eligibility criteria include:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have completed at least two years of in-person, full-time study at Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic
• Hold a valid PGWP
• Have a business continuity plan validated by a third party
• Have actively managed and owned a business, with at least 33.3 per cent ownership, for at least one continuous year
• Operate a business that is for-profit and income-generating, and that creates at least one full-time job for Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• Meet Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in English or French
• Submit an Expression of Interest and receive an Invitation to Apply

Where the business was started, the job created must be separate from the owner’s own role and cannot be filled by a family member. Where the business was bought, it must have been operational for five years or more, existing staff must be offered similar terms, and market valuation documentation is required.

International Entrepreneur

For experienced business owners and senior managers who intend to establish or buy a business in the province. Eligibility criteria include:

• Be aged 21 to 59
• Submit a business plan validated by a professional third party
• Hold at least $600,000 in net assets and make a minimum investment of $200,000, with 33.3 per cent ownership or $1 million equity
• Have two years’ experience managing or owning a business, with at least 25 per cent ownership, in the past five years, or five years’ experience in a senior management role in the past 10 years
• Operate a business that is for-profit and income-generating, and that creates at least one full-time job for Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• Meet Canadian Language Benchmark 5 in English or French
• Submit an Expression of Interest and receive an Invitation to Apply
• Complete an exploratory visit if applying from outside the province

For a new business, one full-time job must be created and cannot be filled by a family member. For a business purchase, the business must have been operating for five years or more under the same owner, with market valuation and employment continuity documentation provided.

Prospective applicants should check the current investment and net worth thresholds on the provincial site before committing, as entrepreneur criteria are reviewed periodically.

General Requirements Across Categories

All NLPNP applicants must show an intention to settle permanently in Newfoundland and Labrador and sufficient funds to establish themselves and any dependants. Spouses, common-law partners and dependent children can be included.

Applicants living in Canada must hold valid status with at least four months remaining on their permit at the time of application. Where a candidate does not already hold a work permit or other federal authorisation for the position, the employer must hold a valid Job Vacancy Assessment.

Police certificates are required from every country lived in for more than six months since age 18, or over the past 10 years, whichever is shorter.

Applicants are ineligible if they have a criminal record, unresolved custody or child support disputes, have misrepresented themselves, or are in-Canada refugee claimants.

Invitation Rounds in 2026

OIM publishes each invitation round, split between NLPNP and AIP. Through 4 September 2026 the province had issued 2,556 invitations across 13 rounds – 2,162 under the NLPNP and 394 under the AIP.

The 2026 rounds to date are:

• 6 March 2026 – 445 invitations (NLPNP 362, AIP 83)
• 30 March 2026 – 245 invitations (NLPNP 209, AIP 36)
• 13 April 2026 – 210 invitations (NLPNP 177, AIP 33)
• 1 May 2026 – 190 invitations (NLPNP 157, AIP 33)
• 11 May 2026 – 186 invitations (NLPNP 168, AIP 18)
• 28 May 2026 – 103 invitations (NLPNP 84, AIP 19)
• 10 June 2026 – 108 invitations (NLPNP 89, AIP 19)
• 10 July 2026 – 57 invitations (NLPNP 17, AIP 40)
• 28 July 2026 – 445 invitations (NLPNP 400, AIP 45)
• 10 August 2026 – 208 invitations (NLPNP 186, AIP 22)
• 18 August 2026 – 122 invitations (NLPNP 122, AIP 0)
• 26 August 2026 – 140 invitations (NLPNP 94, AIP 46)
• 4 September 2026 – 97 invitations (NLPNP 97, AIP 0)

Three features stand out. First, there was a pause of nearly four months between the last round of 2025, on 12 November, and the first round of 2026, on 6 March. Second, round sizes have swung widely – from 57 in early July to 445 later the same month. Third, some recent rounds have been NLPNP-only, with no AIP invitations at all. Candidates should not assume a regular cadence or a fixed split.

The Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program is a permanent federal-provincial route for skilled workers and international graduates with a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer. Employers must be designated by the province before they can endorse a candidate, and the endorsement includes a settlement plan.

In Newfoundland and Labrador the AIP is not a separate application queue. Candidates enter the same EOI pool as NLPNP applicants and are invited from it, which is why the province’s invitation table breaks each round into NLPNP and AIP shares.

Newfoundland and Labrador administers the AIP under the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Agreement. Nationally, the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets AIP admissions at 4,000 a year, separate from the PNP target.

Nomination Allocations for 2026

Nomination allocations for every province and territory are set annually by IRCC, and the province operates within that ceiling.

The 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets a national PNP admissions target of 91,500 for 2026, rising to 92,500 in 2027 and 2028 – a substantial increase on the previous plan, which had cut the programme sharply. Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2025 allocation had been reduced by roughly half.

Newfoundland and Labrador has not published its own 2026 allocation figure. Candidates should treat the province’s invitation table as the most reliable public indicator of how much room remains in the year.

Separately, IRCC has added 5,000 nomination allocations across the country dedicated to Francophone and bilingual immigrants outside Quebec, awarded to provinces on a first-come, first-served basis. Newfoundland and Labrador may prioritise candidates who support its Francophone objectives, and generally expects the equivalent of Canadian Language Benchmark 5 in French across all four skills where French ability is the main basis for prioritisation.

Frequently Asked Questions