Newfoundland and Labrador issued 445 invitations to prospective newcomers on July 28, the province confirmed this week. The invitations were made through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), with the bulk going to the provincial nominee stream.
Numbers and where they went
Of the 445 invitations, 400 were issued under the NLPNP and 45 under the AIP. This selection round is the province’s ninth of the year and — by invitation count — its largest since the March 6 draw.
| Date of draw | Invitations issued | NLPNP | AIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 6, 2026 | 445 | 362 | 83 |
| March 30, 2026 | 245 | 209 | 36 |
| April 13, 2026 | 210 | 177 | 33 |
| May 1, 2026 | 190 | 157 | 33 |
| May 11, 2026 | 186 | 168 | 18 |
| May 28, 2026 | 103 | 84 | 19 |
| June 10, 2026 | 108 | 89 | 19 |
| July 10, 2026 | 57 | 17 | 40 |
| July 28, 2026 | 445 | 400 | 45 |
With the latest round, the province has now issued 1,989 invitations so far in 2026. Candidates invited to NLPNP streams make up roughly 83.6 per cent of selections to date.
Who was selected and why it matters
The provincial Office of Multiculturalism did not specify which exact NLPNP streams were used for invitations in this round, nor the occupations of the candidates invited. The province’s published Expression of Interest (EOI) prioritization criteria, however, indicate that selections can favour applicants with employment in certain sectors — including health or sales and service roles — those with in‑province education, and candidates with French‑language ability.
For Newfoundland and Labrador, provincial nominations and endorsements are central to meeting regional labour needs. Employers and communities outside metropolitan cores, from fishing towns to service industries in regional centres, have been looking to immigration programs to fill vacancies that cannot be met locally.
- How the programs work: candidates submit an Expression of Interest through the province’s Immigration Accelerator Portal.
- Job‑offer requirement: except for entrepreneur streams, applicants usually need a valid job offer from a Newfoundland and Labrador employer.
- Selection factors: occupation, in‑province education, and French proficiency can increase an applicant’s priority.
Context and recent trends
The July 28 draw is notable for its size compared with draws earlier in the summer, including a much smaller July 10 round that issued only 57 invitations. The fluctuation in numbers shows the province is managing intake according to shifting priorities and available employer endorsements, rather than adhering to a steady monthly quota.
Provincial nominee programs across Canada have become increasingly important as the federal immigration system continues to rely on provinces to steer newcomers toward regions with labour shortages and demographic challenges. For Newfoundland and Labrador, with an older population and uneven economic recovery across communities, the targeted use of the NLPNP and AIP provides a tool to attract workers and, in some cases, their families.
What applicants should know
Prospective applicants should begin by registering or updating an EOI in the province’s Immigration Accelerator Portal. Those without a job offer can explore employer recruitment pages and local hiring fairs; employers looking to hire through provincial streams must ensure their job offers meet NLPNP requirements. Applicants invited in the draw will still need to submit full applications and meet program criteria to receive nomination or endorsement.
As the province continues to manage its draws, local employers and settlement organisations will be watching whether future rounds maintain the higher invitation counts seen in March and late July, or revert to smaller, more focused selections used earlier this summer.
Reporting from Newfoundland and Labrador.
