Job Matching Process
This Frequently Asked Questions summary was developed to provide more information to international graduates and open work permit holders who wish to permanently settle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and who are interested in the recently launched Job Matching process.
Question 1: I am preparing my application to include the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code for occupations of interest; what do I need to consider?
Answer: The NOC is Canada’s national system for describing occupations. You can search the NOC system to find the classification of an occupation and to learn about its main duties, educational requirements and other useful information. Please include the full four-digit NOC code(s) and title(s) in your application.
You must meet the NOC code requirements for your occupation to be eligible for Newfoundland and Labrador’s immigration programs.
It is important to include work experience; and all education/training programs you have completed related to the NOC code(s).
All NOC information can be found on this page.
Question 2: The intake form asks for me to note my occupation, but I have worked in multiple different areas and am finding it difficult to specify a particular occupation. What do you recommend I do?
Answer: You may submit up to three different occupations, where you already have the skills, education and experience necessary. This process is in place for individuals who are “job-ready” and prepared to work in a specific set of occupations in which they have the required education/training and/or experience. It is important that you highlight one or more NOC codes for occupations in which you are eligible to work in Canada. This includes regulated occupations for which you have licensure/approval from the regulatory body in Newfoundland and Labrador to practice.
Question 3: Will you find a match for all job seekers in this process?
Answer: This process does not guarantee a job match for everyone who applies. We will assist to the best of our abilities by advancing your resume to employers who may be seeking qualified professionals with your background.
Question 4: I wish to work in a regulated profession in Newfoundland and Labrador, but I do not have the required licensure to practice in that profession. Can I still apply?
Answer: No. This process is for individuals who are ready for immediate employment.
If you are not ready to work in a regulated occupation, we encourage you to contact us once you have attained the necessary licensure/certification to practice in Newfoundland and Labrador.
To obtain contact information for relevant regulatory bodies to determine what you need to do to gain licensure or certification in a regulated occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador, please contact our Labour Mobility Coordinator at: LMCG@gov.nl.ca.
Question 5: I am currently working in Newfoundland and Labrador, but am working part-time and working in a position unrelated to my education. Am I eligible to submit my resume and express my interest?
Answer: If you are in Newfoundland and Labrador and are working part-time, but would like to work in a full-time position and occupation that matches your work experience and/or education, please submit your resume.
Currently, internationally-educated professionals working full-time in other provinces under employer-specific work permits are not eligible to submit resumes in this process.
For this particular initiative, the Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills is accepting resumes from:
- International graduates currently residing in Canada who are seeking full-time, year-round employment: and
- Temporary workers with open work permits in Newfoundland and Labrador and other parts of Canada who would like to permanently relocate to the province and work in full-time, year-round positions.
Question 6: I am interested in this process, but have questions about the immigration criteria. What do I need to know?
Answer: We are pleased that you are considering this process for your future in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills is committed to supporting international graduates and temporary workers interested in permanently settling in Newfoundland and Labrador.
To qualify for the provincial nomination or endorsement under the Provincial Nominee Program or the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, you will need to meet relevant eligibility criteria in those programs.
Please contact us at (709)729-6607 or immigration@gov.nl.ca with any questions you may have regarding provincial immigration programs.
Question 7: I am currently working on a closed work permit that allows me to work for a specific employer. Am I eligible to send my resume for consideration under this process?
Answer: No. This process is limited to individuals who possess a Post-Graduation Work Permit or an open work permit and are permitted to work for any employer in Canada without geographic restrictions. The process is not open to individuals already working on a full-time basis for an employer in Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada.
If you already work in Newfoundland and Labrador in a full-time, year-round position, please visit our website to learn more about provincial immigration Job Matching. You may already qualify to immigrate to our province through the Provincial Nominee Program or the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program. If you currently working in Newfoundland and Labrador, are interested in permanently settling in the province, please contact us at immigration@gov.nl.ca.
Question 8: If I find a full-time job as a result of this process, will your department nominate me/endorse me toward Permanent Residency?
Answer: The objective of our efforts is to make connections between temporary residents, such as international graduates on Post-Graduation Work Permits and temporary workers on open work permits in Canada, and employers is to support individuals who wish to make Newfoundland and Labrador their permanent home by assisting them in securing employment in the province. However, it is important that all individuals assisted in the process ensure that they ultimately meet Provincial Nominee Program and Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program eligibility criteria.
Question 9: I recently completed my degree at Memorial University/diploma at College of the North Atlantic and have applied for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, but my application is still pending and I have not received approval from the Government of Canada yet. Am I eligible to express my interest in this process?
Answer: Yes, you are eligible to participate in this process, if you are on “maintained status” (previously known as “implied status”), meaning you have submitted an application for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, but have not received approval or rejection yet. In your submission, please include proof of application for the Post-Graduation Work Permit to the Government of Canada.
Question 10: My common-law partner/spouse is currently studying at a post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador. I have an open work permit. Am I eligible to apply through this process?
Answer: Yes, you are eligible to participate in this process. If you are successfully hired by an employer in Newfoundland and Labrador, you may apply to permanently settle in the province through one of the immigration pathways by submitting an application as a principal applicant through the Provincial Nominee Program or the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.
Question 11: What documents should I submit to this process?
Answer: You must register online by completing the intake form Registration Form, and provide the following information:
- Your updated resume (.PDF, .PNG, .JPG, or .JPEG), specifying the occupation(s) you wish to be considered for and which you are qualified to work in Canada;
- A copy of your work permit confirming you are a temporary resident, legally entitled to work in Canada; and/or
- If you have recently applied for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, your proof of application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, such as the automatic acknowledgment message.
Please do not submit any other documents in this process. If you have already completed an evaluation of your internationally-attained education and/or received regulatory approval (if you work in a regulated occupation), please indicate this in your resume. Employers may request further documents from you if you are invited to participate in an interview.
Question 12: My work permit expires in three months. Am I eligible to be considered under this new process?
Answer: No. This new process is for individuals who are temporary residents, legally entitled to work in Canada.
For international graduates who have completed their studies in Canada and open work permit holders in the province, individuals must ensure they have a minimum of six months remaining on their work permit.
For open work permit holders in other parts of Canada, individuals must have a minimum of one year left on their work permit, to be eligible for this process.
This allows time for the job search process and subsequent assessment for immigration-related processes.
Question 13: I am a spouse/common-law partner of an international student at a post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador. My work permit expires in four months, but as my spouse/common-law partner will continue to study in Newfoundland and Labrador, I am eligible to renew my work permit. Am I eligible for the Job Matching process?
Answer: Yes, you may be eligible for the Job Matching process and we may be able to assist you by referring your resume to employers in this process.
However, we may need you to provide additional information, verifying your ability to seek a work permit extension/renewal at the end of your work permit expiry. This could include your spouse/common-law partner’s study permit or other relevant documents. If this is your situation, please combine your work permit file and the verifying information in the same document, when attaching it on the website.
For more information, including other frequently asked questions regarding immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit the Immigration Job Matching Frequently Asked Questions page.