- Newfoundland and Labrador issued 189 invitations in the latest immigration draw held on May 1, 2026.
- The draw distributed 156 invitations via the Provincial Nominee Program and 33 through the Atlantic Immigration Program.
- Year-to-date activity for 2026 is 325.8% higher than the same period in 2025 despite smaller recent draws.
(NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR) – Newfoundland and Labrador issued 189 invitations in its latest immigration draw on May 1, 2026, selecting candidates through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program.
The round sent 156 invitations through the NLPNP and 33 through the Atlantic Immigration Program. Provincial tracking shows a total of 189 invitations, even as some reports have listed 157 NLPNP invitations and 190 overall.
Officials did not publish occupation-specific or stream-specific results for the draw. The province also does not publish Expression of Interest score thresholds.
The May 1 round extended a steady decline in draw size this year. Newfoundland and Labrador issued 445 invitations on March 6, 2026, then 245 on March 30, 2026, 210 on April 13, 2026, and 189 on May 1, 2026.
Those four draws produced 1,090 invitations through May 1, made up of 905 under the Provincial Nominee Program and 185 under the Atlantic Immigration Program. In the same period in 2025, the province had issued 256 invitations from one draw on April 3, 2025, split between 206 NLPNP invitations and 50 AIP invitations.
That puts 2026 activity 325.8% above the same point a year earlier. Even with smaller rounds since early March, the province has already moved more candidates through its economic immigration channels than it had by this stage in 2025.
Newfoundland and Labrador uses the Provincial Nominee Program to recruit skilled workers, international graduates and entrepreneurs. The province ties those streams to labor shortages and economic growth, and the latest draw continued that broad approach rather than limiting invitations to a named occupation or industry.
One of the main pathways is the Express Entry Skilled Worker stream. Candidates need an active Express Entry profile, a job offer from a Newfoundland and Labrador employer, related work experience, language proficiency and education credentials; a provincial nomination adds +600 CRS points.
The province also runs a Priority Skills stream for occupations on its Priority Skills list, including fields such as tech and healthcare. That stream requires a job offer and offers expedited processing.
Another route, the Settlement stream, requires proof of funds, a settlement plan and an intention to live in Newfoundland and Labrador permanently. Other NLPNP streams include International Graduate and Skilled Worker categories.
The application process begins with an online Expression of Interest submitted through the provincial portal. Candidates selected in a draw can then apply for nomination, paying a provincial fee of $250 CAD; once approved, they can apply for Canadian permanent residence, which carries a federal fee of $1,365 CAD per adult.
Provincial nomination processing takes 3-6 months. The province runs the NLPNP on a continuous intake basis rather than a fixed points system for most streams, and a nomination gives Express Entry candidates a large enough ranking boost to all but secure an invitation in the federal system.
The Atlantic Immigration Program operates alongside the province’s own nominee system and accounted for 33 invitations in each of the last two draws. On March 6, 2026, it produced 83 invitations, then dropped to 36 on March 30, 2026, before holding at 33 on both April 13, 2026 and May 1, 2026.
NLPNP invitations followed the same downward direction over the same period. The province issued 362 on March 6, 2026, then 209, 177 and 156 in the next three rounds.
No new draws were reported between May 1 and May 14, 2026. The province directs applicants to its NLPNP portal for program information and online submissions.
Employers seeking Job Vacancy Assessments can contact Labour Market Development Officers at 1-800-563-6600 or [email protected]. That support channel sits at the center of a system that depends on employer demand, job offers and provincial selection to move workers into Newfoundland and Labrador’s labor market.
The latest figures leave Newfoundland and Labrador with a clear 2026 pattern: more invitations overall than a year ago, but progressively smaller draw sizes through spring, with the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program continuing as the province’s two main economic immigration routes.
