What this category is
This is the province's own track, outside federal Express Entry. It reaches occupations at every level, applies no points grid, and states no education requirement, which together make it the category that takes records the others cannot. It also excludes post graduation work permit holders, which is the mistake we would most expect a reader to make.
You cannot apply to this category directly
Every economic route the province administers runs through one expression of interest pool. You register an expression of interest, and the province may then invite you to apply. An expression of interest without a job offer identified in it will not be considered for an invitation. An employer invite code is needed as well by anyone who requires a job vacancy assessment space, meaning anyone without existing authorisation to work for that employer in that position, and by every Atlantic Immigration Program applicant, without which the expression of interest is not reviewed at all. Being inside Canada does not by itself remove that requirement.
Selection from the pool is discretionary and unscored. The province publishes nine prioritization criteria and states that they guide decisions without guaranteeing an invitation.
- It reaches TEER 4 and 5. Which the federal Express Entry programs do not. For someone in a lower skilled occupation this is one of a small number of permanent residence routes that exist at all. The International Graduate category reaches an in demand TEER 4 occupation as well, so check that one too if you hold a post graduation work permit.
- No points grid applies. The Annex A grid belongs to the Express Entry category. The current criteria page for this category does not mention a grid, and we do not apply one to it.
- No education requirement is stated. You must still meet the published employment requirements for the occupation itself.
- A post graduation work permit disqualifies you here. Use International Graduate or Express Entry Skilled Worker instead.
- No federal profile, and therefore no 600 points. A nomination on this track supports a provincial nominee application to the federal government rather than attaching to a federal ranking score.
Every worker category here also carries the conditions the three share. The job offer must be full time, guarantee a minimum of thirty hours a week, run at least one year with a reasonable expectation of extension as verified by the employer, come from an eligible provincial employer, and be paid as a salary or an hourly wage rather than commission, meeting provincial employment standards and regional prevailing wage rates. You must be aged 21 to 59, hold no more than a ten per cent stake in the employing business, satisfy a qualitative settlement funds test with no published dollar figure, and intend to settle in the province. If you previously resided in another province or territory you must show twelve consecutive months of full time employment here before nomination, subject to two exemptions. A criminal record, an unresolved custody or child support dispute, and misrepresentation by you or your employer are each a bar, and police certificates are required from everywhere you have lived for more than six months since the age of eighteen or over the last ten years, whichever is more recent. The shared conditions are set out on the province overview.
What the category requires
| Requirement | What the province asks for |
|---|---|
| Job offer | Full time, at least thirty hours a week, at TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, at least one year in duration with a reasonable expectation of extension as verified by the employer, paid as salary or wages rather than commission. |
| Employer | A valid job vacancy assessment, unless you already hold a valid work permit or other federal authorisation to work in the identified position. The province is not permitted to grant an employer both an assessment and an Atlantic Immigration Program designation for the same occupation, though it says exceptions may apply after review. |
| Education | None stated, and no credential assessment required. |
| Occupation requirements | The qualifications, training, skills and accreditation the job requires, and the published employment requirements for the occupation code. |
| Language | Required only where the offer is at TEER 4 or 5, at CLB 4 in each of the four abilities, tested within the past two years. Officers may require a test at any level. |
| Permits | A post graduation work permit holder is not eligible for this category. |
| Fee | No provincial application fee. |
The province publishes the accepted test equivalents for CLB 4, being IELTS General at 4.5 listening, 3.5 reading, 4.0 writing and 4.0 speaking, CELPIP General at 4 in each, PTE Core at 28 to 38 listening, 33 to 41 reading, 41 to 50 writing and 42 to 50 speaking, TEF Canada at 145, 121, 181 and 181, and TCF Canada at 331, 342, 4 and 4.
Reaching TEER 4 and 5 on paper is not the same as being invited. The province gives priority to sales and service roles that support rural labour needs, and says in the same breath that expressions of interest connected to the St. John's metropolitan area may receive lower priority for those occupations when program usage is already high. The criteria will describe you accurately either way. Where the job is decides whether that matters.
Requirements checker
A structured way to see where you stand against the published criteria. It returns an indication only, not an eligibility decision, not legal advice, and not a prediction that you will be invited.
Your situation
Nothing you enter leaves your browser.