P.E.I. transfer gives immigration boost to N.L.

One hundred potential immigrants earmarked for another island in Atlantic Canada may be headed to Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Immigration Minister Sarah Stoodley said Tuesday that Prince Edward Island is boosting this province's immigration numbers.

"They're actually giving us 100 spaces this year," Stoodley told reporters.

Economic immigration streams involve individuals arriving in Canada with job offers.

P.E.I. is allocated 1,600 spaces for economic immigration. Newfoundland and Labrador is allocated 3,500.

Despite the federal government's national cuts to immigration, Stoodley wants to see that number grow. 

"We want more spots. We cannot afford a cut," Stoodley said in October. "Our economic prosperity relies on economic immigration."

N.L. is prioritizing internationally trained health-care workers, early childhood educators and residential construction workers. 

To its advantage, provinces can swap some of their economic immigration allocations with federal government approval. 

"We have a lot of demand for those spaces," Stoodley said.

Chasing growth

The population of N.L. has seen 14 consecutive quarters of growth, and the province isn't planning to slow down.

Following three job fairs in the United Kingdom, Stoodley said that 1,900 individuals showed interest in coming across the pond.

Stoodley said there were about 900 people who were "really interested and somewhat qualified."

The province is working through a list to arrange one-on-one interviews with the 900 individuals. 

"So far, our team have had over 100 one-on-one conversations with individuals identified in the U.K. through our U.K. recruitment efforts who want to come to Newfoundland and Labrador," she said. 

According to Stoodley, P.E.I. wasn't going to use the 100 spaces it had remaining for immigration.

Newfoundland and Labrador has been eager to scoop any unused spaces. 

The Department of Immigration is already talking to its counterparts in other provinces. 

"If they have spaces, they're not going to use them, we'll certainly take them," Stoodley said.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.