These programs are 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;
• business people;
• skilled workers;
• semi-skilled workers.

APPLICATION OPTIONS

Please note, all final immigration decisions are made by the federal government, not the provincial ones. That is why all Provincial Nominee Programs are a two-part process. First, all applicants have to apply and be approved by a specific province and then they have to apply to the federal government for Permanent Residence status.

How an applicant will apply depends under which Provincial Nominee Program stream they are applying to. They might need to apply using the paper-based process, or by the online process through Express Entry.

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

In the paper-based process:

1. An applicant applies to the province or territory for nomination under a non-Express Entry stream.

2. An applicants needs to meet the eligibility requirements of the province that nominates them.

3. Once an applicant has been nominated, they submit a paper application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

4. An applciant has to pass a medical exam and get a police check (certificate). Everyone must have these checks, no matter where they plan to live in Canada.

Application processing times are longer than through Express Entry.

In the online Express Entry process, there are 2 ways to apply:

1. An applicant contacts the province or territory and apply for a nomination under an Express Entry stream.

2. If the province or territory agrees to nominate them, they create an Express Entry profile (or update their profile if they already have one) and show they have been nominated.

OR

1. An applicant creates an Express Entry profile and show the provinces and territories they are interested in.

2. If a province or territory sends an applicant a “notification of interest” to their account, an applicant contacts them directly.

3. Then an applicant applies to their Express Entry stream:

If an applicant is nominated, the province will offer it to them through their account, and an applicant accepts it electronically.

In both cases:

An applicant must meet the eligibility requirements of the province or territory. And,

An applicant must submit an Express Entry profile and show that they meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for one of the immigration programs it covers.

If an applicant is invited to apply, they submit an electronic application to IRCC.

Choose a province or territory

To be nominated by a province or territory, an applicant must follow the instructions on their website and contact them directly:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

The criteria by province and territory vary and can change without notice.

Note that the province of Quebec has its own unique immigration selection system and a points system that is also different from other provinces.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are the fastest-growing economic Canadian immigration pathway as the federal government has gradually increased provinces’ annual allocations for their respective PNPs over the last years. 

Canadian provinces and territories can nominate families and individuals who wish to settle in their province or territory based on various criteria set by that province. 

To become a provincial nominee, an applicant must meet the set criteria by a specific province or territory. Then the province or territory will consider the application based on its own immigration and labour needs. It is important to highlight that the provinces and territories will assess a genuine intenion of an applicant to settle in that area. 

Important to know that most provinces and territories have provincial programs designed for Express Entry candidates, giving them 600 CRS points, which means that they will meet the cut off score for the next draw and be invited to apply to Permanent Residence.

Most provinces and territories have streams that are connected with the federal Express Entry selection system, giving 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points to a candidate who received a nomination from the province or territory. 

A provincial nomination is the most valuable factor in the CRS, by guaranteeing that the candidate will receive an Invitation to Apply at a next draw from the pool.

Any person who submits an Express Entry profile is assigned a CRS score out of 1200 points maximum.