Newfoundland and Labrador issues 186 NLPNP and AIP invitations in its fifth draw of 2026

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador announced the results of its fifth immigration draw of 2026 on 11 May 2026, issuing a total of 186 invitations to apply (ITAs) across two programmes, theNewfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)and theAtlantic Immigration Program (AIP).

This was the second draw in May and was conducted by the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) under the Expression of Interest (EOI) model in force since 19 February 2025.

Allocation of invitations

The figures show that NLPNP invitations made up the bulk of the round — 90.3% of all ITAs issued:

The OIM does not disclose which NLPNP streams were selected or which occupations were targeted in each draw. However, under the EOI priority criteria published on the gov.nl.ca portal, healthcare and health-related occupations continue to rank highly because of persistent staffing shortages. Other factors that may be taken into account include candidates working outside the major urban centres, the likelihood of settling long term, and ties to the province through postgraduate study.

A downward trend across draws

The draw of 11 May 2026 was the smallest of 2026 and continued the downward trend seen in each successive round:

As of the 11 May 2026 draw, the province had issued a total of 1,276 invitations for the year, of which the NLPNP accounted for roughly 84.1%. Over the same period in 2025 (1 January to 11 May), the province held only two draws totalling 584 invitations — meaning 2026 is already 692 invitations ahead of the previous year. The first draw of 2026 (6 March 2026, 445 invitations) was also considerably larger than the opening draw of 2025 on 3 April 2025 (256 invitations).

The NLPNP and AIP process

According to the OIM, candidates wishing to enter the selection pool must submit an EOI accompanied by a valid job offer or employment contract from an employer in Newfoundland and Labrador. The only exception is the NLPNP’s entrepreneur streams. An EOI is valid for 12 months from the date of submission; if it expires without an invitation, the candidate must submit a new one.

Once an ITA is received, candidates have 60 days to file a complete application. Under the NLPNP, candidates apply themselves; under the AIP, the designated employer files the endorsement application on the candidate’s behalf. In 2025, the province issued a total of 3,376 invitations through the two programmes.