Newfoundland and Labrador invites 122 foreign nationals to apply for provincial nomination

Newfoundland and Labrador issued 122 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in a draw held on August 18.

This marked the first draw since the province adopted an Expression of Interest (EOI) model in February 2025 in which invitations were issued exclusively through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP).

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

Prior to this selection round, the province had consistently issued invitations through both its provincial immigration programs: the NLPNP and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).

Here’s how Newfoundland and Labrador’s 11th draw of the year compares to previous 2026 rounds:

Date of draw	Invitations issued	Invitations issued by program
March 6, 2026	445	NLPNP – 362 AIP – 83
March 30, 2026	245	NLPNP – 209 AIP – 36
April 13, 2026	210	NLPNP – 177 AIP – 33
May 1, 2026	190	NLPNP – 157 AIP – 33
May 11, 2026	186	NLPNP – 168 AIP – 18
May 28, 2026	103	NLPNP – 84 AIP – 19
June 10, 2026	108	NLPNP – 89 AIP – 19
July 10, 2026	57	NLPNP – 17 AIP – 40
July 28, 2026	445	NLPNP – 400 AIP – 45
August 10, 2026	208	NLPNP – 186 AIP – 22
August 18, 2026	122	NLPNP – 122

Newfoundland and Labrador's Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) does not publish which specific NLPNP streams candidates are invited under, or which sectors they work in.

To date in 2026, the province has issued 1,849 invitations through its NLPNP, and 348 through its AIP.

Of the total 2,197 invitations issued between January 1–August 18, 2026, 85% went to NLPNP candidates.

This is the province’s first draw of 2026 to exclude AIP candidates entirely, breaking from a pattern in which the program had consistently, if modestly, featured in every round.

CIC News reached out to Newfoundland and Labrador regarding the narrowed selection criteria used in its latest draw but did not receive a comment prior to the time of publication.

How to get permanent residence through the NLPNP

Foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to Newfoundland and Labrador through the NLPNP must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Immigration Accelerator Portal.

In the EOI, foreign nationals provide details about their education, employment, language proficiency, and plans to establish themselves in the province.

With the exception of the NLPNP’s entrepreneur streams, candidates need a valid job offer from an in-province employer to be considered for selection.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s OIM reviews EOI submissions and periodically invites candidates to apply for provincial nomination, based on evolving priorities.

The OIM notes that it may prioritize candidates based on factors such as employment in healthcare or outside major urban centres, French-language proficiency, and graduation from a post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A full breakdown of the province’s EOI prioritization criteria is available on the OIM’s official webpage.

Those who receive an invitation have a 60-day deadline to submit a complete nomination application to the province.

Successful applicants receive a provincial nomination, after which they can apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR).

The federal government will process the PR application and issue a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) to approved applicants.

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the latest PR processing times are as follows:

Application type	Processing time (as of August 10)
Base PNP	13 months
Enhanced PNP	7 months

EOIs remain valid for 12 months, after which they expire. If a candidate does not receive an invitation to apply for provincial nomination during that time, they must submit a new profile to remain under consideration.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams