Newfoundland and Labrador invites over 100 candidates to submit an…
Newfoundland and Labrador issued 103 invitations to provincial immigration candidates on May 28, marking the province's sixth draw of 2026 through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program. The invitations allow selected candidates to apply for provincial nomination or federal endorsement, the necessary steps before submitting permanent residence applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
This draw represents the smallest selection round Newfoundland and Labrador has conducted in 2026, continuing a steady decline from the year's opening draw of 445 invitations on March 6. The province has now held three draws in May alone—the highest monthly total this year—but invitation volumes have dropped consistently across each round, as reported by CIC News. The May 11 draw issued 186 invitations, while the May 1 draw issued 190.
Of the 103 invitations issued May 28, the NLPNP received 84 invitations—81.6% of the total—while the Atlantic Immigration Program received 19. The Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism does not publicly disclose which NLPNP streams were targeted or which occupations received priority in individual draws. Across all six draws held between March 6 and May 28, the province has invited 1,379 candidates in 2026, with 83.9% of invitations directed to NLPNP applicants. Over the same January 1 to May 28 period in 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador held only two draws and issued 584 total invitations, meaning 2026 has already produced 795 more invitations than last year's comparable timeframe.
"Candidates who wish to be considered under either the NLPNP or the AIP must first submit an Expression of Interest to the province," the province's guidance states.
Both programs require candidates to hold a valid job offer from a Newfoundland and Labrador employer before submitting an Expression of Interest, with the exception of applicants to the NLPNP's entrepreneur-focused streams. The Expression of Interest process collects details on occupation, education, language proficiency, and settlement plans, which the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism reviews to identify the strongest candidates. NLPNP invitations lead to provincial nomination applications, while AIP invitations lead to endorsement applications. Candidates have 60 days after receiving an invitation to submit a complete application—employers submit AIP applications on behalf of candidates, while NLPNP applicants file their own.
The Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism prioritizes candidates based on several factors, including employment in healthcare occupations, work outside major urban centres, strong long-term settlement prospects, and ties to the province through local graduation. Expressions of Interest remain valid for 12 months in the candidate pool; expired submissions require resubmission for continued consideration.
Candidates who received invitations in the May 28 draw must submit their complete applications by July 27, 2026. Those who have not yet submitted an Expression of Interest can review the province's full prioritization criteria and application requirements on the official Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism webpage.
Source: CIC News — published 2026-05-30.