Newfoundland and Labrador to open new immigration program for skilled workers

Newfoundland and Labrador will start accepting applications for a new program on January 2.

The Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador is a new immigration program for highly educated, highly skilled newcomers with specialized experience in areas where demand has outpaced local training and recruitment, such as technology and ocean sciences occupations.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) will post more information on the government's website when the stream opens.

The program was created to help address local labour market shortages. It will be open to newcomers who have at least one year of work experience in highly skilled, high-demand occupations, as well as post-graduates who completed a Masters or Doctorate degree at Memorial University within three years.

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“Newfoundland and Labrador invests a great deal of time, effort, and money to attract newcomers to our shores," the province's minister of immigration, Gerry Byrne, said in a release. "Once we attract newcomers, we invest even more into our own Memorial University for education and training. Driven by the leadership of the premier, our government is now investing to assist more highly-skilled, highly educated newcomers to stay, right here, and go on to have full careers and raise families throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.”

The NLPNP intends to admit 2,500 new permanent residents annually by 2022 within coronavirus special measures and guidelines.

How the new program works

The Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador will operate as an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Interested candidates will complete an EOI, and receive an invitation to apply through the province's online portal.

Invited individuals will receive a provincial nomination if they meet all the criteria for either the Skilled worker, or Express Entry Skilled Worker categories. This nomination will support a subsequent application for Canadian permanent residence to the federal government.

Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador is accepting EOIs from people who have at least one year of skilled work experience in an in-demand occupation. They are also accepting applications from people who have finished a PhD or master's degree from Memorial University within the past three years in one of the following four specialties: Technology, Health Care, Aquaculture, and Agriculture.

Applicants will fill out a questionnaire to get their EOI score. Those who get above 60 points will be visible to local employers who have accounts with the province's Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism.

It is not necessary to have a job offer to apply to the province's new Provincial Nominee Program. Applicants need to score highly in the EOI system and have received interest from local employers.

There are some eligibility criteria that all candidates must follow. Candidates need a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of at least five in order to be eligible. The results of the language test must be less than 12 months old.

Candidates also need to be at least 21 years old and intend to live permanently in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Find out if you’re eligible for Canadian immigration