NLPNP Express Entry – Skilled Worker

The Newfoundland and Labrador Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream provides an immigration route for skilled candidates with a job offer, through which they receive a nomination from theNewfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP), processed through the federalExpress Entryimmigration selection system.

Prospective immigrants who have been accepted into the federal Express Entry pool may apply to the Newfoundland and Labrador Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream if they have a job offer in Newfoundland and genuinely intend to settle permanently in the province.

Individuals nominated by the NLPNP receive additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System, leading to an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada. The federal government has stated that it will process the majority of Express Entry applications in 6 months or less, making this a much faster immigration option than previously.

Minimum requirements for the candidate

To be eligible under this stream, a candidate must:

• Be accepted into the Express Entry pool ofImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)and have a valid Express Entry key code
• Have full-time employment or a job offer from an employer in Newfoundland and Labrador. The employment or job offer must be atNational Occupational Classification (NOC)level 0, A or B
  • The job offer must not breach bargaining unit agreements or interfere with a labour dispute
• Hold a valid work permit or be eligible to apply for one
• Hold a Canadian post-secondary degree or certificate, or aneducational credential assessment (ECA)report from a body approved by IRCC
  • An ECA verifies that the candidate’s foreign educational credential is equivalent to Canadian education standards.
• Demonstrate the minimum level of work experience based on the occupation:
  • Have at least 1 year (1,560 hours in total / 30 hours a week) of paid work experience (volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count), within the past 10 years, at NOC 0, A or B
  • Have at least 1 year of paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation (non-trades)
  • Have at least 2 years of paid work experience in a skilled trade within the past five years
  • Have at least 2 years of paid work experience in a skilled trade within the past five years
• Submit evidence of eligibility for provincial licensing or certification (where applicable)
• Demonstrate the intention and ability to settle permanently in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Provide satisfactory language test results from a designated testing body
• Score a minimum of 67/100 points on the PNP points assessment grid
• Demonstrate sufficient financial resources or settlement funds to establish themselves and any dependants in the province. The amount required varies with family size, as set out in the following table:

Number of family members	Amount required (CAD)
1	$11,931
2	$14,853
3	$18,260
4	$22,170
5	$25,145
6	$28,359
7 or more	$31,574

The points assessment system

Prospective candidates must score a minimum of 60/100 points on the points assessment grid, which measures five factors: education and training, skilled work experience, language ability, age, and connection to the provincial labour market together with adaptability.

Selection factor	Maximum points
Education and training	28 points
Skilled work experience	20 points
Language ability	27 points
Age	12 points
Connection to the Newfoundland and Labrador labour market and adaptability	13 points
Total	100 points
Pass mark:	67 points

Factor 1: Education and training

Candidates must hold at least a degree, diploma or certificate requiring the completion of at least one year of full-time post-secondary study. The ECA is used to verify that the candidate’s foreign degree, diploma or certificate (or evidence of qualification) is valid and equivalent to a completed Canadian credential, and confirms the authenticity of the foreign educational credential.

A candidate’s education points are calculated on the basis of documentary evidence of completed post-secondary education and/or training programmes from nationally or provincially recognised institutions/regulatory bodies. Candidates must therefore submit copies of any relevant degree, diploma or certificate for the education or training, together with full transcripts.

Level of education	Points
A master’s or doctoral (PhD) degree	28
A university degree requiring at least three years of full-time study	23
A trade certification equivalent to journeyperson level in Newfoundland and Labrador (approval by the Department of Education and Advanced Skills is required)	23
A degree, diploma or certificate requiring at least two years of full-time post-secondary study, or an equivalent certification	18
A degree, diploma or certificate requiring at least one year of full-time post-secondary study, or a certification equivalent to a trade certification	15
Less than one year of post-secondary study	Not eligible

Factor 2: Skilled work experience

Candidates must have skilled work experience in an occupation at NOC 0, A or B. The minimum requirement varies with the candidate’s field of education or training:

• At least 1 year of work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation (non-trades)
• At least 2 years of work experience in a skilled trade within the past five years
• At least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades)

Points are calculated on the basis of documentary evidence of skilled work experience in the 10 years immediately before the application. Candidates are awarded three points for each year worked in the most recent five years, and one additional point for each year in the period six to 10 years before the application, up to a maximum of 15 points. The documentation must include:

• A reference letter from a supervisor or human resources officer for each work experience listed in the application. The reference letter must be printed on company letterhead and must set out the job title, job duties, salary and period of employment
• The candidate’s official employment record book
• Other official government documents

Individuals with work experience in a regulated occupation requiring mandatory certification or licensing must produce evidence of eligibility for provincial licensing in Newfoundland and Labrador in order to work in that occupation, before applying to the NLPNP.

Experience in the most recent 5 years before the application	Points
5 years	15
4 years	12
3 years	9
2 years	6
1 year	3

Experience in the period 6 to 10 years before the application	Points
5 years	7
4 years	6
3 years	5
2 years	4
1 year	2

Factor 3: Language ability

Candidates are awarded up to 27 points for their language ability in English or French — candidates should choose the language they are most comfortable in. Points are calculated on the basis of valid language test results from a designated testing body. Test results must match the language level the candidate declared in their Express Entry profile.

The language tests approved by the NLPNP are:

English:

• CELPIP General
• IELTS General Training

French:

• TEF

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)is set out as follows:

First official language	Points
CLB level 8 or above	27
CLB level 7	23
CLB level 6	21
CLB level 5	19

Factor 4: Age

Candidates are awarded points based on their age at the date of application to the NLPNP.

Age	Points
Under 18	0
18-21	8
22-33	12
34-45	10
46-50	8
Over 50	0

Factor 5: Connection to the labour market and adaptability

Candidates are awarded points on the basis of documentary evidence of their close connection to Newfoundland and of their intention and ability to settle and establish themselves economically in the province. Where the candidate is accompanied by a spouse or common-law partner, that person may also earn points under this factor. However, candidates cannot claim points for a spouse who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Adaptability	Points
A relative in Newfoundland and Labrador
The candidate or accompanying spouse has a close relative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Newfoundland and Labrador, including a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, cousin, and step- or in-law family members in an equivalent relationship.	7
Previous work experience in Newfoundland and Labrador (principal candidate only)
The candidate has worked in Newfoundland and Labrador for at least 12 months in the past five years on a valid work permit.	3
Previous study experience in Newfoundland and Labrador (principal candidate only)
The candidate has studied at a recognised educational institution in Newfoundland and Labrador for at least one full-time academic year on a valid study permit.	3

Minimum requirements for the employer

Employers supporting an application under the Newfoundland and Labrador Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream must meet theemployer criteria set by the NLPNP.

The Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream application process

Step 1: Federal Express Entry profile

Foreign nationals wishing to apply under the Newfoundland and Labrador Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream must have an active profile in the federal government’s Express Entry system. To create an Express Entry profile, a foreign national must meet the eligibility requirements of 1 of the 3 programmes managed by the system:

• The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
• The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Step 2: Apply to the NLPNP

Prospective NLPNP candidates must obtain and photocopy all the required supporting documents accompanying the application. The NLPNP requires prospective candidates to keep copies of the forms submitted to IRCC and to have all photocopies of original documents notarised.

The Government of Newfoundland treats individuals who provide false information as inadmissible to the province, and they may be barred from applying to the NLPNP for five years. Together with the complete application package, candidates must pay a non-refundable application fee of CAD 250 payable to the NLPNP.

Step 3: Provincial nomination from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

If a candidate successfully receives a provincial nomination from the NLPNP, a nomination letter is issued to the candidate setting out the next steps leading to an application for permanent residence in Canada. After the provincial nomination is issued, the candidate has 30 days to accept the nomination in the Express Entry system.

As a result of the nomination, the candidate is awarded an additional 600 points under theComprehensive Ranking System (CRS)in the Express Entry system. With these additional points, the candidate is much more likely to receive anInvitation to Apply (ITA)for permanent residence in Canada from IRCC in a future Express Entry round.

The candidate then has 60 days to submit the permanent residence application to IRCC, including all the required documents.

Who is not eligible for the Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream

A candidate is considered ineligible under the Newfoundland and Labrador Express Entry – Skilled Worker Stream if they:

• Have not been accepted into the Express Entry pool
• Do not score at least 67/100 points on the points assessment grid
• Are an asylum seeker in Canada or a failed asylum seeker
• Do not submit documents as required by PNP staff
• Cannot demonstrate that the intention to live and work in Newfoundland and Labrador is genuine
• Cannot demonstrate the ability to establish themselves economically
• Have a criminal record (or where any dependent family member over 18 does, whether or not that family member is accompanying them)
• Have an unresolved custody dispute or support obligation. These matters must be resolved before the immigration application process begins
• Deliberately provide false information in the application. Any activity capable of constituting fraud is investigated and may lead to criminal proceedings