Graduate to Permanent Residency

Eligibility Requirements are as follows:

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• Be at least 21 years old;

• Provide a business continuity plan with supporting financial documentation verified by a recognized third-party professional service (applicants are solely responsible for payment of associated fees related to obtaining these documents);

• Have completed a degree or diploma after at least two academic years of full-time, in-person study at Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic with the degree or diploma having been completed within two years of submission of the Expression of Interest;

• Have a valid post-graduate work permit;

• Want to live permanently in Newfoundland and Labrador while owning and actively managing a local business that has the potential to create significant economic benefit to Newfoundland and Labrador;

• Have at least one year’s continuous experience actively managing and owning the current business (33.3 percent minimum ownership);

• Demonstrate ability to create at least one full-time equivalent job for the local population (permanent residents and Canadian citizens);

• Demonstrate that the business is a for-profit entity with the primary purpose of earning profits through the sale of goods and/or services;

• Have a score of at least 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English or French;

• Complete an online Expression of Interest; and

• Receive an Invitation to Apply from the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism

• If starting a business, the applicant must create a minimum of one full-time year-round equivalent employment opportunity for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Newfoundland and Labrador. This position must:

  • Be over and above any position filled by the approved applicant. For clarity, jobs created for or filled by dependents or relatives of the applicant are not eligible

  • Be relevant and directly related to the applicant’s business

  • Meet the prevailing provincial wage levels

• If the applicant is purchasing an existing Newfoundland and Labrador business, all of the following apply:

  • The business must have been in continuous operation by the same owner for the previous five (5) years;

  • Applicants must provide evidence that reasonable efforts were taken to establish a fair market value for the business;

  • The business must be actively in operation and not in receivership;

  • Applicants must offer employment on similar terms and conditions to existing staff, including maintaining existing wages and employment terms.