Provincial Nominee Programs

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are a vital part of Canada’s immigration policy, with more than 200,000 people expected to obtain Canadian permanent residence through a Provincial Nominee Program between 2020 and 2022.

Provincial Nomination Programs are an essential component of Canada’s Immigration policy. Between 2020 and 2022, the Canadian government plans to issue more than 200 000 permanent resident permits through PNP to foreigners who meet the eligibility criteria.

Canada’s PNPs provide a pathway to immigrate to Canada for persons interested in settling in a specific territory or province. Each Canadian territory or province operates its nominee program crafted to meet its particular demographic and economic needs.

A brief overview of the PNP

The Canadian constitution has empowered each province and territory, in conjunction with the federal government, to manage immigration processes.

The PNPs allow each territory and province to nominate persons who have applied to immigrate to Canada and wish to settle in a specified region.

However, the province of Quebec and the northern territory of Nunavut are notable exceptions. Quebec has the power to institute its nomination conditions for economic-related immigration.

PNPs aims at spreading the benefits of immigration to various parts of Canada. Before the program’s launch in 1998, most foreigners settled in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. However, the PNP launch has opened doors for the rest of the county, and other provinces have enjoyed more success in enticing immigrants, thanks to the program.

How Do The Provincial Nominee Program Work?

First, a candidate must be entered into the EE System with their Comprehensive Ranking System score, followed by another application to the selected PNP program. The applicant remains in the EE system for 12 months, or until the person is nominated for Permanent Residence application.

It can take 90 to 120 days before a province or territory processes a PNP application, after which an applicant will be awarded extra 600 points to add to your EE score. With the added points, you will be nominated and requested to apply for Permanent Residence at the immediate next draw—which usually occurs every two weeks.

Benefits of applying through PNPs

While a PNP can have several immigration streams, each has at least a single stream aligned with the federal government’s Express Entry system.

A Provincial nomination allotted under an Express Entry-aligned stream is called an ‘enhanced nomination.’ The benefits of enhanced PNP streams include:

• You get additional 600 Express Entry CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points, which significantly improve your chances of getting a permanent residence invitation.
• The federal government will process your application quicker, usually within 180 days.
• PNP offers vast career opportunities—nomination is announced only when there is high demand or need for a specific profile
• Some of the Express-Entry-related PNPs have no mandatory requirement of prior paid work experience.