Newfoundland and Labrador announced on 26 August 2026 that it has invited 140 foreign nationals to apply for provincial nomination or Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) endorsement, bringing the province’s total invitations for 2026 to 2,459.
Draw summary
- Invitations issued: 94 through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and 46 through the AIP.
- This was the province’s 12th selection round of 2026 and the highest AIP issuance since the first draw of the year (6 March 2026).
- The NLPNP invitation count was the lowest since the 28 July 2026 draw, which had 400 NLPNP invitations.
2026 invitation totals by draw
| Date | Total invitations | NLPNP | AIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar | 445 | 362 | 83 |
| 30 Mar | 245 | 209 | 36 |
| 13 Apr | 210 | 177 | 33 |
| 1 May | 190 | 157 | 33 |
| 11 May | 186 | 168 | 18 |
| 28 May | 103 | 84 | 19 |
| 10 Jun | 108 | 89 | 19 |
| 10 Jul | 57 | 17 | 40 |
| 28 Jul | 445 | 400 | 45 |
| 10 Aug | 208 | 186 | 22 |
| 18 Aug | 122 | 122 | – |
| 26 Aug | 140 | 94 | 46 |
As of 25 August 2026, 84 % of all invitations issued this year have been for NLPNP candidates.
How the programs work
NLPNP (Provincial Nominee Program)
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the Immigration Accelerator Portal.
- Provide education, work experience, language ability, and intent to settle in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Outside the entrepreneur streams, a valid job offer from a provincial employer is required.
- The Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) reviews the EOI pool and invites candidates based on labour‑market priorities, which may favour:
- Healthcare workers
- Applicants employed outside major urban centres
- French‑language proficiency
- Graduates of a Newfoundland and Labrador post‑secondary institution
AIP (Atlantic Immigration Program)
- Candidates are nominated by an employer who submits the endorsement application on their behalf after the candidate receives an invitation.
Common steps after invitation
- 60‑day deadline to submit a complete application (candidate for NLPNP; employer for AIP).
- Successful applicants receive a provincial nomination certificate (NLPNP) or an endorsement certificate (AIP).
- With the certificate, they file a permanent‑residence application with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) upon approval.
Processing times (as of 10 August 2026)
- Base PNP: 13 months
- Enhanced PNP: 7 months
- AIP: 26 months
Additional considerations
- An EOI remains valid for 12 months. If no invitation is received within that period, the candidate must submit a new EOI (or, for AIP, have the employer submit a new endorsement).
- Selection criteria are not publicly disclosed for each draw; the OIM did not specify which NLPNP streams or occupations were targeted in the 26 August draw.
- Candidates can review the detailed Expression of Interest Model Prioritization Criteria on the Newfoundland and Labrador government website for guidance on factors that may improve their chances.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
