Immigration agreement between Ottawa and Newfoundland and Labrador extended

Canada announced a one-year extension to the immigration agreement between Canada’s federal government and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey announced on August 12 the decision to extend the immigration agreement.

The agreement outlined the objectives for federal-provincial cooperation on immigration was first signed in 2016. Now the agreement has been extended until July 31, 2022.

Each province has agreements with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that covers topics related to immigration in their province. The agreements set out the parameters of the relationship between IRCC and each province, as well, the agreements identify the roles and responsibilities of each party.

The extension will allow Newfoundland and Labrador time to negotiate a new agreement with the federal government to help the province settle more newcomers annually. The provincial government has an ambitious goal to welcome 5,100 newcomers annually by 2026 to increase immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador.

While negotiations take place, the province can operate as usual working with the federal government to continue working on current initiatives. The current agreement brought up the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) which is a federal immigration program that facilitates the recruitment process when employers in Atlantic Canada cannot fill positions with local talent.

As of May 2021, AIP employers have made over 9,200 job offers to foreign candidates. Almost 8,000 newcomers and their families have moved to Atlantic Canada, and about ninety percent (90%) of those surveyed were still living in the region after one year.

Through the AIP and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Newfoundland and Labrador has gained 275 new employees and 300 family members so far in 2021.

The province has invited almost 400 people in the health care sector to apply for permanent residency from the Priority Skills Newfoundland pathway. It is expected in the next few weeks, that the province will extend invitations to professionals in the technology and aquaculture sectors.