Newfoundland and Labrador is facing an unprecedented immigration bottleneck due to soaring demand and limited federal allocation. The province’s 2024 immigration capacity is nearly exhausted, leading to anticipated processing delays. Despite welcoming a record 5,485 new permanent residents in 2023, up from 3,495 in 2022, the province struggles to meet rising labour market needs. The Department of Immigration, Population Growth, and Skills is prioritizing applications in critical sectors like healthcare and construction. However, the Federal Government’s rejection of a 15% increase in immigration spaces for 2024 has exacerbated the challenge, highlighting the need for enhanced federal-provincial cooperation to address the growing demand for skilled workers in the region.
