Get in touch

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM

This province of Canada was named ‘Newfoundelande’ or New Found Land by the European explorers in the late fifteenth century. The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the youngest among Canada’s ten provinces. The province joined the confederation in 1949.

In 2001, the name of the province was changed officially from ‘Newfoundelande’ to Newfoundland and Labrador.

It lies across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Newfoundland is separated from the Labrador region by the Strait of Belle Isle.

The Labrador’s north and east are the Labrador Sea (the northwestern arm of the Atlantic Ocean). The province of Quebec lies towards the south and west.

Newfoundland and Labrador province consists of 9 different regions. Seven of these regions are located on the Newfoundland island. The mainland of Labrador has the rest of the two regions. These nine regions together make up the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.

Newfoundland and Labrador are located in the most eastern part of North America. The capital city of the province, St John’s, is closer to the coast of Ireland compared to Winnipeg in Manitoba province. The island’s positioning in the Atlantic Ocean has given it strategic importance in transportation, communications, and defense.

The important cities in Newfoundland and Labrador are St John’s, Conception Bay South, Torbay, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Paradise, Gander, Mount Pearl, and Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, Corner Brook, and Grand Falls-Windsor.

A part of the PNP or Provincial Nominee Program of Canada, Newfoundland, and Labrador has an immigration program of its own. The NLPNP, or Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program, has been designed to include new immigrants into the province.

With the help of an agreement between the IRCC or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the province, it can nominate 1,050 immigrants annually. The allocations are needed to be filled by applicants who fulfill the requirement set by the federal government of Canada for Canada PR or permanent residency.

Newfoundland PNP nominates applicants on the basis of provincial labor requirements and economic needs.

Newfoundland and Labrador PNP streams
Stream	About
Express Entry Skilled Worker	For federal Express Entry candidates that have a job offer in NL.
Express Entry Skilled Worker	Those successful in securing a nomination will be allotted 600 CRS points, thereby guaranteeing an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
Skilled Worker	For individuals that have either –
	A guaranteed offer of employment from an employer in NL, or
	Are already working in the province on a valid Canada work permit.
Priority Skills	Aimed at highly educated and skilled individuals with experience in any of the in-demand sectors in the province.
International Graduate	For recent graduates with –
	(1) Post-Graduation Work Permit, and
	(2) a job or job offer from an employer in NL.
International Entrepreneur	For experienced business owners or serious business managers that intend to build a new life, and continue their business career, in the province.
International Graduate Entrepreneur	For international graduates belonging to the Memorial University in Newfoundland or College of the North Atlantic that have started or bought a local business in Newfoundland and are carrying out its day-to-day operations for at least one continuous year.
International Graduate Entrepreneur	To be eligible, their degree or diploma must have been completed within the two years of their submission of Expression of Interest (EOI) with NL PNP.

The NLPNP is linked to the Canadian federal Express Entry system. Nomination under the NLPNP’s pathway for Express Entry Skilled Worker fetches a candidate an additional 600 points in their CRS in Comprehensive Ranking System scores. Consequently, an ITA is guaranteed from the IRCC when the next draw is conducted.

The CRS is a 1,200-point matrix. The system is used by IRCC for ranking profiles in Express Entry. The profiles which are ranked high are issued invitations to apply in the draws held by the federal government periodically.

Newfoundland and Labrador are also one of the four provinces – NL, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The four provinces form Atlantic Canada.

The AIP or Atlantic Immigration Pilot was launched in 2017. It offers a pathway to Canada PR for the international graduates and skilled foreign workers who intend to work and live in any of the provinces of Atlantic Canada.

Although the AIP was launched as a 3-year pilot, it was made permanent in January 2022.

The NLPNP started a new program for Canadian immigration on January 2, 2021. According to the NL PNP, the Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador “will attract highly educated, highly skilled newcomers with specialized experience working in sectors such as technology, where a growing demand has outpaced local training and recruitment”.

The program, Priority Skills NL follows the process of EOI or Expression of Interest. Here, the people with the highest scores and the most sought after by Canadian employers are invited to apply for permanent residency.

After receiving the invitation from NLPNP, the candidate needs to submit the application through an online portal. The applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for either the Express Entry Skilled Worker or Skilled Worker category of NLPNP will be issued a nomination letter.

This nomination certificate of NLPNP may be included in the application for Canadian PR.

As per the official publication – The Way Forward on Immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador – “immigration is a key component of economic and labor market growth, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to doing its part to increase immigration to the province.”

The prospective skilled immigrants have multiple options when selecting a place where they want to work and settle with family in the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador are being considered to be competing as a choice for a destination for many foreign nationals migrating to Canada for a better future.

FAQ

Do I need a valid job offer to be eligible?

Yes. To fulfill the eligibility requirements of the AIP or NLPNP, an individual is required to have a valid employment offer from an employer-based in NL.

What do you mean by a “full-time” job?

By a “full-time” job is meant a job which involves the individual working for at least 30 hours in a week.

What jobs are in demand in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Priority and high-demand sectors in NL include – hospitality, agriculture, aquaculture, technology, and healthcare.

What are the Canadian work permits available?

There are two kinds of work permits available in Canada. The open work permit is not job-specific. It allows the visa holder to work under any employer in Canada. Examples of the open work permit in Canada include Post-Graduate Work Permit and Open Spousal Work Permit.

A closed work permit is employer-specific, allowing the permit holder to work only for that specific employer while in Canada.

Can my family members enter Canada before me?

No. Do keep in mind that your dependents cannot arrive in Canada before you do. They must either enter the country with you or at a later date.

Can my family members enter Canada before me?

No. Do keep in mind that your dependents cannot arrive in Canada before you do. They must either enter the country with you or at a later date.

Which Canadian provinces are a part of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP)?

4 Canadian provinces are a part of the AIP of Canada. These are – Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

What is the processing time for AIP applications?

A majority of completed applications [that is, where all information has been provided and no documents are missing] are processed within 6 months.

Can I include my parents in my PNP application?

No. Parents of the applicant cannot be included in the PNP application.

Can I include my brother/sister in my PNP application?

No. Brothers/sisters of the applicant cannot be included in the PNP application.

Is IELTS mandatory for Canada immigration?

No. You have the option of appearing for either of the following English language tests –

the International English Language Testing System (IELTS – General Training) or
The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP).

What is Newfoundland and Labrador PNP?

The Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nomination Program, commonly referred to as Newfoundland and Labrador PNP or NL PNP, enables the province to nominate people that have the relevant skills and experience required to meet the labor shortage in the province.

What are the eligibility requirements for the NL PNP’s Express Entry Skilled Worker stream?

The eligibility requirements for the NL PNP are given below:

Valid profile in Express Entry in the pool of IRCC or Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada Express Entry,
A job offer from a Newfoundland and Labrador employer that meets the standards of the Canadian government’s wage and work income. You must either have a valid Work Permit or meet the criteria to apply for one.
A Canadian diploma, tertiary degree, or an ECA or Educational Certificate Assessment that certifies that your international qualifications meet Canada’s educational standards;
Aim of relocating to Newfoundland and Labrador to live and work;
Sufficient funds to cover your expenses and your dependents in the province

The required language test results to prove that you have the needed language skills to work in the province or the country.

What are the eligibility requirements for the NL PNP’s Skilled Worker stream?

The eligibility requirements for the NL PNP’s Skilled Worker Stream are:
- A full-time job offer (At least 30 hours per week) from an NL employer
- A valid Canada work permit or meet the eligibility requirements to apply for one
- The required work experience, including accreditation, for the job role in NL
- Assured intention to live in the province
- Sufficient funds to settle in the province
- Proof of proficiency in English or French

How do I apply for the Newfoundland and Labrador PNP?

Potential applicants must first determine which category they fall under – Skilled Worker, Express Entry Skilled Worker, or International Graduate – as the first step in the application process.

Then they must download and complete all provincial and federal forms required for a nomination under that NL PNP stream. Once completed, these can be sent to the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Other requirements for applicants include: