Changes to Job Vacancy Assessment and Atlantic Immigration Program Designation Processes

The Provincial Government has implemented changes to the Job Vacancy Assessment and Atlantic Immigration Program designation processes.

Both the Job Vacancy Assessment and Atlantic Immigration Program designation processes provide initial approval for employers to explore hiring international workers, who will become future applicants to economic immigration programs. The Job Vacancy Assessment is the first step in the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program.

These policy adjustments reflect the Provincial Government’s commitment to strategically utilizing economic immigration capacity, supporting employers in addressing priority workforce shortages, and ensuring responsible program management.

Changes to the processes include:

• Employers will no longer be granted pre-approval for a specific number of economic immigration spaces. Employers may still indicate their hiring needs for a one-year period.
• Occupations approved under both processes will be valid for a one-year period.
• Employers must choose to apply for either a Job Vacancy Assessment or Atlantic Immigration Program designation when seeking to hire for a particular occupation. Employers can no longer use both processes to hire for the same occupation.

Additionally, all new applications for these designations will be assessed based on the following principles:

• Prioritizing in-demand occupations.
• Supporting businesses operating in rural areas.
• Evaluating an employer’s track record in retaining international hires through provincial immigration programs.
• Aligning hiring requests with the company’s size and operations.
• Ensuring employers are providing adequate levels of settlement supports for their prospective newcomer hires.

The changes apply to new applicants as well as employers with already approved Atlantic Immigration Program designations and Job Vacancy Assessments. Employers who have existing approvals are asked to contact employmentprograms@gov.nl.ca.

Information sessions will be held next week for business, labour or community groups interested in learning more about the policy adjustments. To express an interest in attending a session, please email immigration@gov.nl.ca.

Opportunities remain available for employers to hire humanitarian migrants to help meet their workforce needs. This process is not impacted by these changes. Employers interested in learning about opportunities to hire these international workers can get started by emailing HumanitarianPath@gov.nl.ca.

These changes were required when the Federal Government cut provincial immigration capacity and implemented a new requirement that 75 per cent of provincial nominees for permanent residency must be existing temporary residents in Newfoundland and Labrador