The Newfoundland and Labrador government has revised its Job Vacancy Assessment and Atlantic Immigration Program designation processes, changing how employers seek approval to hire international workers.
The updates, announced Friday, remove pre-approval for a set number of economic immigration spaces. Instead, employers can indicate their hiring needs for a one-year period. Additionally, businesses must now choose between the Job Vacancy Assessment or the Atlantic Immigration Program designation when hiring for a specific occupation, eliminating the ability to use both programs simultaneously.
The province said the changes are designed to better allocate immigration resources while helping employers address workforce shortages responsibly. New applications will now be assessed based on criteria such as prioritizing in-demand occupations, supporting businesses in rural areas, and evaluating an employer’s history of retaining international hires. Companies must also align hiring requests with their operational capacity and ensure adequate settlement support for newcomers.
“These adjustments help us strategically manage our economic immigration capacity while supporting businesses in need of skilled workers,” said the provincial government in a statement.
The changes apply to both new applicants and employers with existing approvals under the Atlantic Immigration Program designation and Job Vacancy Assessment. Employers with active approvals are encouraged to contact the government for further guidance.
The province is hosting information sessions next week for businesses, labour groups, and community organizations interested in learning more about the revised policies.
These adjustments come in response to federal government changes that reduced the province’s immigration capacity and introduced a new requirement that 75 per cent of provincial nominees for permanent residency must already be temporary residents in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Employers seeking to hire humanitarian migrants are not affected by the new rules and can continue to access immigration pathways for those workers.
