Newfoundland and Labrador – Or the joy of new PNP programs

2021 brings exciting news for everyone looking to settle down in
Canada during this New Year. If you’re a skilled foreign worker in
search of new opportunities, high quality of life, security and safety,
then Canada may be a worthwhile destination for you or your family.
Not only are there over 100 immigration options to consider but there
are new programs being added to assist those who want to apply for
Canadian permanent residency, and the New Priority Skills
Newfoundland & Labrador (Priority Skills NL) PNP Stream is one of
them. As the newest entry into the Provincial Nominee Program, the
Canadian Immigration world welcomes Newfoundland and Labrador
Priority skills.
New…..what?!
Let’s say it’s not the easiest province name in Canada. The second
most difficult to remember probably, right after winner Saskatchewan.
The name comes from the European colonists who first called the
territory “Terra Nova’’ , New Land in Latin. Labrador is named after a
Portuguese explorer as “lavrador’’ means farmer in portuguese. Back
in the days, that was people’s main occupation.
Fun Fact
Before we get into serious Immigration stuff, let me tell you that back
in the day, Newfoundland had the busiest airport in the world! In the
1950’s, most airplanes couldn’t make a transatlantic flight from New
York to London without refueling. Newfoundland was the closest bit
of North America to Europe, so it’s where most planes stopped.
Gander International Airport is located almost exactly on the great
circle route from New York to London. Its airport code, YQX, would
make a great Scrabble word if they let you use airport codes.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly part of North
America and has cold but not severe winters and warm to cool
summers and will invest a great deal of time, effort, and money to
attract newcomers to its shores. The province has a long history,
with its capital, St. John’s, considered the oldest city in North
America. Newfoundland and Labrador’s modern amenities (you
can find hundreds of the San Francisco’s famous colorful houses
‘’Painted ladies’’ along the streets of St John’s!), vibrant culture,
and world-class hotels, all just a few miles away from the pristine
coastland and woodland offer an excellent urban and rural living.
Although the cities are much smaller than other cities in the rest of
Canada, they offer adventure and a different way of living.
Newfoundland and Labrador is much bigger than some countries
like Germany and Japan. It has a population of approximately
550,000 people, with the majority living in urban area.
Can I go?
The options of NLPNP until now include Express Entry Skilled Worker
category that allows the province to nominate skilled workers through
Canada’s federal Express Entry system, however, nominated
individuals need to have job offers in the province and the Skilled
Worker category that targets individuals who have received a job offer
from an employer in the province. This category also targets those who
are already working in the province on a valid work permit.
The new addition to these programs, the Newfoundland and
Labrador Priority Skills pathway -launched on January 2, 2021- comes
to offer Immigrants a chance of getting the Permanent Residency in
the province without the requirement of a job offer. This aims to
attract highly educated, highly skilled newcomers with specialized
experience working in sectors such as technology, where a growing
demand has outpaced local training and recruitment.
The NLPNP intends to admit 2,500 new permanent residents
annually within coronavirus special measures and guidelines.

HOW?!
The Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador will operate as an
Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Interested candidates will
complete an EOI, and receive an invitation to apply through the
province’s online portal. It is not necessary to have a job offer to
apply to the province’s new Provincial Nominee Program, which is
only part of the great news 2021 is bringing into the PNPs stream.
If you are over 21 years old, have the required work experience or
qualification in healthcare, technology, agriculture or aquaculture and
you are proficient in either English or French, the Priority Skills NL
may be the perfect immigration solution for you.

“We have exciting opportunities in emerging and traditional industries and we are working to recruit the necessary talent and skills to bring these opportunities to fruition.
This new focus in Priority Skills for immigration builds on the gathering momentum to attract and retain more newcomers with fresh ideas and perspectives for growth.”
Andrew Furey Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

Eligibility Requirements for Priority Skills Newfoundland Labrador

In order to be eligible for it, individuals need to have taken an IELTS
(International English Language Testing System) or CELPIP
(Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) language test
within the last twelve months and scored equivalent to Canadian
Language Benchmark level 5 or higher ( so a minimum of 4 IELTS
band in Reading, Writing, Speaking and 5 in Listening).  The results of
the language test must be less than 12 months old and the higher the
language score, the better your chances of receiving invitation. But with trainers like ours, worrying about the IELTS should be the last thing on your mind!

Additionally, all candidates must be at least 21 years old at the time of
application, have a professional post-secondary degree/diploma and
have worked in a specialized, highly skilled, in-demand occupation for
at least one full year in the last 10 years (so in the period 2011 to date).

IN-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS
International professionals specializing in technology, healthcare,
aquaculture and agriculture with the right skills, qualifications and
work experience can find themselves potentially starting a new life in
one of Canada’s amazing Atlantic provinces. The list of in-demand
occupations is not exhaustive and will be revisited on a regular basis.

• Health Care Occupations: Physician, Nurse Practitioner (NP),
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Personal Care Attendant (PCA), Clinical
Psychologist, Medical Physicist, Radiation Therapist, Dosimetrist
• Aquaculture sector: Captain (FM4 certification required), Farming
and Feeding Manager, Facility Technician, Assistant Manager, Cage Site
Technician, Site Manager (with water quality expertise), Area Manager
• Engineers and Developers: Software Developer, Biomedical
Engineer, UI/UX Developer, Electrical Engineer, AI Developer,
Mechanical Engineer, Python Developer,  .NET Developer, Infrastructure
Engineer
• Technical Specialists: Security Specialist, Cloud Specialist,
Bioinformatician, Computer Network Support, Research Associate, Data

Analytics, Offshore Technician, ROV Operator, Ocean Mapping
Specialist, Technical Writer

If you meet the eligibility requirements and found your profession in
the IN DEMAND list, here are few equally important steps you should
follow and consider:
Step 1: Complete an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Step 2: Promising candidates receive an invitation to apply
Step 3: Filing formal application with PNP to obtain Nomination
Step 4: PR filing either with Express Entry pathway or through direct
pathway
Step 5: Can obtain Work Permit if supported by PNP authorities

Step One – Complete an expression of interest 
The first step of the Priority Skills NL process is completing a
questionnaire. Your questionnaire will be scored, and you should
receive a score of at least 60 points to be considered. The points are
attributed differently than the regular eligibility point calculator for
PR, as applicants should meet a minimum of 60 points (compared to
67) to be considered. For example, you can score the maximum
amount of points for age if you are between 31 and 40 years old, and
not between 18 and 35 as in the classic points calculator. This is an
incredible advantage for those who have passed the age of 35 years
old. Not to say points for age are allocated up to 59 years old!!
Both the local Government as well as staff and local employers will
have access to view your account.

The Expression of Interest process will also let you know if you meet
minimum eligibility requirements to potentially receive an invitation.
The questionnaire will ask you about five topics: your English and
French language ability, age, education, work experience and whether
you have family in Newfoundland and Labrador. You will need a NOC
code (matching your work experience) to complete the questionnaire.
If you meet the minimum requirements and score high enough on the
questionnaire, you will be asked to provide the following information:
your name, citizenship, current address, and email address. You will
also be asked to submit three supporting documents to support your
expression of interest, such as a résumé, education or work credential,
and cover letter.
Step Two – Receive an Invitation to Apply
While the final decision to extend invitations rests with the Office of
Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM), your questionnaire score,
language ability, education, and work experience, along with your
three supporting documents, will be viewable by employers that have
accounts with OIM. Employers can use this information to vote on
whether they feel candidates would be successful or not in their
companies and/or Newfoundland and Labrador.
Priority Skills NL is intended for candidates who do not have a job or
job offer, but during the voting process, employers may wish to
contact you to offer a job. The email address that you provide at the
start of the questionnaire can be used by employers who wish to
contact you.
Invitations will be issued periodically throughout the year, depending
on demand.

Step Three – Invitees Apply for Nomination through Online Portal
If you receive an invitation to apply to the Newfoundland and
Labrador Provincial Nominee Program, it will be sent to the same email address that you use to register your Expression of Interest. The
invitation will invite you to submit an immigration application
through the online portal.
Step Four – PR filing either with Express Entry pathway or through
direct pathway
Fill out all the details in the permanent residency application and
once you are done with that, you will get to last page to upload
documents. You will also need to pay the application fee of $250
CAD. Attach all documents as PDF online, depending on the
profile the documents may vary but the following are mandatory:
all non-empty pages of passport, photo, bank statement showing
you have enough balance in your account over past 6 months,
medical test report, police certificate for all the countries you have
resided for more than 6 months, letter from all the employers you
have listed proving your work experience and the NOC code you
have selected in the application, your IELTS score, Degree
certificates and/or transcripts, tax statements and/or pay slips
from your previous and current employers and the ECA
(Educational Credential Assessment equivalency).
You have 60 days to submit all the documents after you get the
invitation to apply, so have them handy.
Once the PR application is submitted, it can take 6 months
approx. for IRCC to process. It may take longer or shorter
depending on their workload. Once IRCC finalizes your
application, you will get an email to submit your passport.
Step Five – Can obtain Work Permit if supported by PNP authorities
While awaiting permanent residency, Provincial Nominees receive
dedicated support from Office of Immigration and
Multiculturalism staff, and access to specialized services, such as
letters of support for work permit requests.

In the light of a pandemic still going on, having new streams like
the Skills Priority being added to the Provincial Nominee
Programs gives the whole Immigration World an exciting future to
look forward to. If you find yourself in one of those “In Demand
occupations” then you are in the right place at the right moment
and you found the right person who can guide and direct you!
And if your profession doesn’t fit Newfoundland and Labrador,
you can get to know the realistic chances of your profile for
Canada- PNP or Federal Skilled Worker. Let us not forget Canada
has announced a quota of 400.000 Immigrants only for 2021.
There are plenty of provinces looking for different skilled
professionals and I have all the information and the knowledge to
get you through. Whether is Alberta, Ontario or British Colombia,
Immigration was never easier with the right consultant beside you.

Get in touch and I’ll be glad to assist you with any answers you might be looking for.

Sorina

Immigration Specialist @The Immigration Office – Dubai