Canada targets to welcome approximately 120,000 new permanent residents (PR) admitted through the Provincial Nominee Program in the next few years.
In 1998, Canada launched the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) that allowed Canadian provinces to nominate the economic immigration candidates that were deemed to have a high probability of being economically successful in the province.
In line with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s Immigration Levels Plan, the Canadian federal government has a target of accepting 117,500 new permanent residents under the PNP each year. The Canadian government is encouraging each province to expect a number of new permanent residents by 2025.
What is a Provincial Nominee Program?
Canada’s provincial nominee programs (PNPs) offer immigrants a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for individuals interested in immigrating to a specific Canadian province.
Except for Quebec, each province operates several streams under its nominee programs. A stream is an immigration program that targets specific groups.
For example, immigration programs in Canadian provinces may target skilled workers, semi-skilled employees, entrepreneurs or business people, and students as well as international students.
Quebec does not have a PNP nor multiple streams, and the province has their own program in welcoming new permanent residents. This is due to a unique agreement between the province and federal government.
Nonetheless, each province designs these streams accordingly to help meet their unique immigration goals. This means the eligibility criteria and application procedures vary between provinces.
All in all, there are more than 80 different provincial nominee programs to choose from. Since, applying for a Provincial Nominee Program depends on which PNP stream you’re applying to, knowing how each province varies will certainly give you a great advantage.
Applying for a Provincial Nominee Program
There are two ways to go about a provincial nominee program application – They are the Express Entry profile and the Paper-based application.
In 2015, Canada introduced their online Express Entry system to manage permanent residency applications. Since then, many Canadian provinces and territories have developed enhanced PNP streams aligned with Express Entry.
This means that some PNPs require an applicant to secure an Express Entry profile that meets the PNP’s eligibility requirements.
If an applicant is nominated through a PNP that is aligned with Express Entry. In that case, the applicant can then claim 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, essentially guaranteeing they will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency in the next Express Entry draw.
On the other hand, suppose an applicant receives a nomination through a PNP that is not aligned with Express Entry. In that case, they must then submit a paper-based federal application for permanent residency as a provincial nominee.
Paper-based federal applications for permanent residence can take significantly longer to process than online Express Entry applications.
Provinces That Invited Candidates under the PNP
It would be counterproductive if you choose to go over all 80 Canadian provincial nominee programs and streams. It would be best to take special note of the provinces that have been steadily welcoming new permanent residents in recent months.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced that five provinces have invited candidates to apply for provincial nominations in the third week of April.
The five provinces are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island (PEI). The list speaks of which provinces offer a substantial chance of getting permanent residence in the country.
For instance, British Columbia invited more than 203 candidates in the latest BC PNP draw on April 18. Approximately 158 candidates were invited over five streams in a general draw, which means no occupations were targeted in the largest draw.
The province also targeted 29 candidates in the skilled worker and international graduate streams for early childhood educators and assistants, 16 candidates in healthcare occupations and 5 candidates in other priority occupations.
Meanwhile, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has held two draws so far in April, with results only published this week. Invitations were issued to candidates invited under the Designated Healthcare Pathway: Alberta Job Offer stream.
The second was on April 18 and invited 68 candidates from the Sector priority – Agriculture occupation with Alberta job offer stream.
Then on April 20, Saskatchewan invited 1067 candidates through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Of those candidates, 623 of them are Express Entry candidates and 444 were from the occupations-in-demand category.
On the same day as Saskatchewan’s draw, Prince Edward Island invited 189 candidates in the latest draw of the PEI PNP. Of those invited, 180 were in the Labour and Express stream and the remaining nine were Business and Entrepreneur nominees who met the minimum point threshold
Manitoba invited 28 candidates from Ukraine on April 17. This is in alignment with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) special immigration measures for those affected by the current unrest in the region.
Strengthening Your Chance of Landing a Permanent Residence Status
Looking into these provinces provides you with a clue where you should stay, apply for a PNP and be granted permanent residence status. Thus your decision to stay in a certain province is crucial in becoming successful in Canada.
However, being in a province with a high number of granted PRs doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be guaranteed to obtain a PR status. Due to the fact that all targeted candidates need to at least meet the minimum scores that each province requires.
It would be advantageous if the immigrants choose to hone their skill to excel in their job positions when employed by reputable employers or companies.
For instance, many International students who graduate from a post-secondary institution in Canada may have the opportunity to extend their stay and eventually become permanent residents.
This is because Canadian education can be an advantage for immigrants looking to become permanent residents. In addition, federal and provincial immigration programs value candidates with Canadian education and work experience.
In other words, you can strengthen your chance of landing a permanent residence status by studying in Canada.
If you want to know more about becoming successful in Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program, you can always schedule an online appointment with us. Fill out our easy online application form or contact us at +63 917 555 9027.
