The provincial nominee programs are individual immigration programs associated with each province or territory to assist foreign nationals with immigration to a specific province or territory in Canada.

Each province and territory, except for Quebec, has a PNP pathway. Each province and territory has different immigration goals based on their economics and demographics and so the procedures and requirements are different for each province and territory. However, a successful PNP application will still have to be approved by the federal government’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Therefore, the PNP program is a two-step process.

PNP’s applications are particularly popular because they are often the quickest way to obtain permanent residence in Canada.

There are typically two ways of applying to a PNP of a given province or territory. One option is to directly apply on paper manually with the office of a specific provincial administrator. The other option is to apply online through the Express Entry program. The manual paper-based process takes significantly longer than applying online with the Express Entry program. The online process uses the federal Express Entry requirements to streamline the PNP application. This is known as the “enhanced” PNP pathway since it is faster than the paper-based PNP pathway.

Please note in advance that the process will involve a medical exam and a police check, regardless of whether you apply with the enhanced PNP pathway or the paper-based PNP pathway.

Regardless of the province or territory that you want to apply to, the PNP programs are all very competitive. Even if you are fully qualified and satisfy all the requirements, your application for a permanent residence application might not be accepted since only the top candidates are selected from everyone competing.

Requirements for the Provincial Nominee Program:

The minimum requirements for each provincial nominee program are unique for each applicable province. However, the typical requirements include skilled professionals in high demand jobs, family connections to the province or territory, higher education, ability to finance yourself, and English or French language proficiency.

Competitive Factors in the PNP Program:

The competitive factors in evaluating a PNP application include: age, education, work experience, if there is a job offer, language skills, and cultural adaptability. The competitive evaluation favours higher education, more work experience, economic or family ties to the specific province and territory, strong language skills, a valid job offer, and a suitable age for starting a life here.

Process for Applying to the Enhanced PNP Program (Online):

Step 1- Determine the Appropriate Province or Territory: The first step evaluate the lists requirements for each province and territory to determine which one best fits your skills and experience. Once you have decided which one has the best chance of success, then proceed to the next step.

Step 2 – Apply for Nomination to the Specific Province or Territory: After deciding where you want to apply, you must apply for a nomination under an Express Entry stream.

Step 3 –Apply to the PNP pathway of the chosen Province or Territory: If and when you get nominated by the province or territory of your choice, you have to apply online by creating a profile on the federal Express Entry platform and submit your nomination.

Step 4 – Get an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence: If and when your nomination is confirmed and selected, you will get an invitation to apply for permanent residence if your profile is sufficient competitive among other candidates. Once this has been completed, you will have your profile evaluated by the IRCC for a final determination of whether you will be issued a permanent residency visa for that province.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The information and facts referred to herein may be amended, removed or otherwise changed by the applicable government authority. As such, the information contained herein is provided with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.