x
P r o a c t i v e

Provincial Nominee Program

Awesome Image
Provincial Nominee Program

A program that allows provinces and territories

to nominate candidates for immigration to Canada. The PNP provides the provinces/territories with the benefits of targeted recruiting (for example, students, business immigrants) and selectin of FNs who help meet the specific labor market needs or to attract specialized occupational skills. Provinces and Territories have their own stream and EE.

 They set out their own selection criteria and guidelines for selecting qualified applicants who, if issued a certificate of nomination, must apply for PR through IRCC and undergo an inadmissibility assessment by a visa officer who has final decision on the application. Successful applicants must reside in the provinces or territories that nominated them.

This program is for workers who:

  • have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory
  • want to live in that province, and
  • want to become permanent residents of Canada

Each province and territory has its own “streams” (immigration programs that target certain groups) and requirements. For example, in a program stream, provinces and territories may target:

  • students
  • businesspeople
  • skilled workers
  • semi-skilled workers

The application options:

How you will apply depends on which Provincial Nominee Program stream you’re applying to. You might need to apply using the paper-based process, or by the online process through Express Entry.

As part of the process, you will have to pass a medical and get a police check certificate. Everyone must have these checks, no matter where they plan to live in Canada.

How the PNP works

IRCC provides each province and territory with an annual allocation of nominations for Canadian permanent residence that is disbursed through streams tailored to their specific labour market needs.

Combined, the 11 provinces and territories that take part in Canada’s PNP have more than 70 nominations streams that range in focus from international graduates of local universities to workers with skills listed as in-demand in the province, among other examples.

Each provincial nominee program also has at least one ‘enhanced’ nomination stream that targets candidates in the Federal Express Entry System which is Canada’s most important source of skilled foreign workers.

Express Entry manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three Federal Skilled immigration categories — the Federal Skilled Worker class, the Federal Skilled Trades class, and the Canadian Experience Class.

 

Eligible candidates in these three classes are entered into the Express Entry pool and are issued a score under what’s called the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS.

The Government of Canada invites top-ranked candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence through periodic draws from the Express Entry pool, which typically occur every two weeks.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and move to the front of the line for an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

 

Application Procedures: there are 2 Application stages for FN who apply to be nominated under this program

  1. Application to the Province for nomination; and
  2. Application to visa officer for permanent residence.

Stage 1: Application to the Province for nomination

  • Express entry
  • Paper based
  • Approves candidate
  • Issues nomination letter
  • Notifies IRCC (P/T)

Since January 1, 2015 province can nominate candidates through the EE process or through a paper-base Application.