Provincial Nomination Programs
About the Provincial Nomination Programs
The Canadian government has worked out an agreement in which the local provinces can nominate immigrants wishing to settle in their locality. This allows each province the opportunity to focus on their immigration needs individually. In doing so, provinces can now address their labour shortages by prioritizing various jobs in their immigration streams/processes. Each province has its own immigration streams and each stream has its own qualifying criteria. In order to qualify for these Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP), you must first adhere to the provinces qualifying criteria. Choose the province where you wish to live and go through its immigration streams and nomination process. Once you have established your eligibility, submit your application for the stream that you qualify for and await the response from the province. The province will then consider your application based on its immigration needs and your genuine intention to settle there. The following provinces and territories are included under the PNP:
The Province of Quebec does not participate in the PNP. Their point system is also different to that used for the other visas offered to the rest of Canada.
Benefits of PNP:
You can choose the province in which you wish to settle. With nearly 80 programs to choose from, chances are that you will find a program tailored to your needs. Upon successful Provincial Nomination, 600 extra points will be added to your express entry profile. Once obtaining a Provincial Nomination, you would be able to apply for a work permit immediately which can be issues in as little as 60 days.
There are various streams offered by different provinces.
See below some of the streams on offer:
These are some of the nearly 80 provincial nominee programs/streams available to immigrate to Canada. You will find that some programs can be found in more than one province or territory. Keep in mind that even though these programs have similar names, the qualifying criteria are unique to each program. Each province or territory offers a different selection of programs and also chooses their own criterion for each program category to suit the specific employment needs of the locality.
How to apply for PNP
Our expert staff would be more than capable to assist you in this regard. We will work with you from choosing a province, to applying for the program. We provide you with information on the various processes to keep you informed and up to date. We work with your information and take into consideration your personal preferences to find you the best possible pathway that suits your immigration needs whilst still adhering to the qualifying criteria.
NOTE: On January 1, 2015, the Canadian government launched its new “Express Entry” system for immigration to Canada. Although the Express Entry immigration system was created to more efficiently select skilled foreign workers for certain “economic immigration” programs (i.e., Federal Skilled Workers Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class Program), the Provincial Nominees Program (PNP) is also affected by Express Entry. Starting in 2015, Canadian provincial and territorial governments will be able to review the profiles of skilled foreign workers who have registered with Canada’s Job Bank and may “nominate” many of them for Canadian immigration through the Provincial Nominees Program (PNP). To learn more about the Express Entry Canadian immigration system please contact our office directly.
