Canada aims to welcome between 64,000 – 81,500 immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in 2021. Just how many PNPs are there in Canada? There are more than 80 provincial nomination programs in Canada that allow participating provinces and territories to nominate eligible economic immigration candidates for Canadian permanent residence. Learn more about the different Provincial Nominee Program types for exciting alternative routes to Canada.
The Canadian government made an agreement with local provinces in which they can nominate immigrants who wish to live, settle, and work in that particular province or essentially, immigrate to Canada. In order to receive a visa through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), the candidate is required to choose a province they wish to live in and subsequently apply for a nomination.
The province will then consider the application based on its immigration and labor needs, while also assessing your genuine intention to settle in the province.
For most provinces, Canadian immigration is an important part of not only boosting local economies and development in key sectors but also supporting an aging population.
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 (PNPs) that allow accelerated immigration processing according to provincial needs have been set up in most provinces in Canada. There are basically two types of PNP programs. The first type is the skilled worker PNP. This program will allow expedited processing for skilled workers that have a job offer from a local provincial business in an occupation or business sector that meets local provincial needs. The following may also be requirements for some PNP streams:
The second type of program is a business immigration program. Most business immigration PNPs allow expedited immigration processing if the applicant does some variation of one of the following in the province:
With the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applications, the first step is for the application to be approved by the province. In most cases, this first step is completed quickly. The provincial processing time can range from two weeks to nine months depending on the province. PNP approval is commonly called being “nominated” by the Provincial Nominee Program.
After the PNP approval, the second step is federal approval consisting of police, medical and security checks are still required. This generally takes 6-8 months at most but can be longer depending on individual cases. After PNP nomination has occurred the PNP can assist the nominee to obtain a work visa on an expedited basis, before immigrating to Canada.
How Does the Provincial Nominee Program Work? When applying for permanent residence through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) under the Canadian immigration system, there are two main options you can choose from:
Applying for a provincial nomination directly to your chosen province means that you will have to submit a paper application via mail or courier. This is generally a long process and could take anywhere from 15 to 19 months to find out whether or not your application has been successful.
Taking the Express Entry-linked route has two pathways:
The benefits here are faster processing, averaging at about six to eight months, as well as having a higher chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Find out where your job is in-demand in each of Canada’s provinces and territories here.
Since its introduction in early 2015, most provinces and territories have streams that are aligned with the Federal Express Entry system. Through the Express Entry system, these “enhanced” nominations award nominees with up to 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. It is important to understand that a provincial nomination is the single most important factor in the CRS. The CRS gives applicants a score out of a possible 1,200 that is assigned to an Express Entry candidate, which also in effect decides which candidates should get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
Most PNP streams have a lower CRS cut-off score than regular Express Entry draws. For example, Alberta’s minimum CRS score is 300 which means that simply having a nomination would almost certainly guarantee that you will receive an (ITA) at the following pool draw.
It is important to note, that in order to take the Express Entry immigration pathway to Canada under an enhanced PNP stream, you will first be required to create an Express Entry profile.
Yes, you can. However, several provincial departments in Canada have had to make temporary adjustments in order to operate during the pandemic.
For example, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is still holding weekly draws, however, occupations in highly affected sectors such as hospitality, tourism, and retail are now excluded.
The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is now allowing nominees to request a six-month extension to apply for permanent residency to the federal government.
In order to give people a greater chance of immigrating, Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) will be able to use non-consecutive work experience towards the applicants’ eligibility.
The only significant disadvantage of applying through a Provincial Nominee Program is the processing time. Application processing time for your permanent resident visa can take between 6 to 19 months.
Based on data collected from various Canadian provinces, Ontario was the top province that foreign workers immigrated to through a PNP. British Columbia was the second most popular province, followed by Saskatchewan.
Your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is based on the following factors:
Provincial Nomination (600 Points)
600 points are awarded for an enhanced Nominee certificate from a province in Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Job Offers (50-600 Points)
A Canadian job offer will also earn you points; the number of points is based on the NOC level of the particular job.
Core Human Capital Factors (600 Points)
These take into account your level of education, for example:
If you intend to gain higher qualifications, your score will increase. This same point system applies to your legal partner or spouse if you applied together.
Language (150 Points)
Improving your language skills in either English or French through a recognized Canadian institution can also raise your CRS score.
Work Experience
The more experience you have, the more points you earn. This also applies to your legal partner or spouse.
You must:
You must register with the Canadian Job Bank within 30 days unless:
You must have a Labour Market Impact Assessment in order to earn Comprehensive Ranking System points, unless you:
If you qualify for any of the Federal Programs, you have 30 days from when you submit your profile to complete the rest of the requirements like registering with the Job Bank. If you do not, your Express Entry profile cannot be activated.
There are three programs to apply for under Express Entry:
The following factors affect your eligibility:
Work Experience
You must:
Language Ability
You must:
Education
You must:
Proof of Funds
You must prove you can support yourself and your family financially, unless:
Additional Factors to Be Considered
This program is aimed at people who wish to become permanent residents (PR) of Canada. This only applies to people who qualify in a skilled trade.
Minimum Requirements
You must:
Skilled Work Experience
These skilled trades are involved in the Federal Skilled Trades Program as ranked by the National Occupational Classification.
Group Number | Job Description |
---|---|
72 | Industrial, construction or electrical trades |
73 | Equipment operation and maintenance |
82 | Technical and supervisors in:
|
92 | Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisor Central control operators |
632 | Cooks and chefs |
633 | Bakers and butchers |
Education
You do not need a specific qualification for this program, but you can earn more CRS points if you have:
Language Ability
Be assessed by the province or territory
Each of the provinces or territories have different requirements for the skilled trade industry.
Minimum Requirements
You must:
Skilled Work Experience
Work experience must be gained in the following job levels based on the National Occupational Classifications.
Job Description | Skill Type |
---|---|
Technical jobs | B |
Skilled trades | B |
Professional jobs | A |
Managerial jobs | 0 |
Education
You do not need an education to apply for this program, but you can score higher if you:
Language Ability
To qualify you must score well in the various language tests determined by the CEC.
Canadian Language Benchmark Score Needed | Job Level (NOC) |
---|---|
7 | 0 |
7 | A |
5 | B |
The language test must be approved by IRCC and must not be older than two years when you apply.
Note:work experience gained as a student or a self-employed individual does not count.
Work experience must be within three years of applying for the Canadian Experience Class. Work experience must be gained in the following job levels as based on National Occupational Classifications.
Job description | Skill Type |
---|---|
Technical jobs | B |
Skilled trades | B |
Professional jobs | A |
Managerial jobs | 0 |
You do not need an education to apply for this program, but you can score higher if:
Note: Only apply for an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if your foreign education is either equal to, or higher than the Canadian education standard.
To qualify you must score well in:
Canadian Language Benchmark score needed | Job level (NOC) |
---|---|
7 | 0 |
7 | A |
5 | B |
The Language Test must be approved by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada .These tests are based off your French and English ability to:
Your test results must be included if you are applying for this program through the Express Entry program. Note: these tests must not be older than two years when you apply.
When you apply for the Express Entry, and want to immigrate with your common law partner, you must choose who will be the principal applicant.
Note: a common law partner is a person who has been married to you for one year. This applies for same sex and opposite sex partners.
Choose the principal applicant by looking at who will score the highest points under the Express Entry program.
You may be inadmissible if you are:
Note:under the Express Entry you can apply to live in other provinces/territories in Canada, except Quebec. This province has its own set of requirements needed for you to enter.
These are the factors that are used to calculate CRS Points
A legal agent is an authorized representative that must be:
Note: An unauthorized agent will not be able to help you with your application.
If you want to ensure that your Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) is an authorized consultant, you can check with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC).
The ICCRC’s website has a register of all the persons that are qualified to be Canadian Immigration Consultants. Any individual who claims to be a legal consultant will have a RCIC code. If there are no results for a person’s RCIC code, then they are not a legal Canadian Immigration Consultant.
Copyright 2022 © mwagents.ca. All rights reserved | This website is operated by Maple Solutions OÜ. Roosikrantsi tn 2 Kesklinna
linnaosa, Tallinn Harju maakond 10119, Estonia | Your credit card charge will appear as mwagents.ca
If you are married provide following documents for your spouse and dependent child whether they are
accompanying or not:
Please note that CIC provide us 60 days to submit 2nd stage documentation from the date of Invitation
and we may take up to 7 business day to submit from the date of receipt of all documents from you.
So kindly start collecting all documents beforehand.
Your all education documents after 12th class. If your diploma, certificate or degree
was not issued in Canada, you must also provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
You must show that you have at least 12 months of full-time work experience within the 36
months before your application.
You must provide the following documents of you and your spouse:
Submit bank statement or balance certificate to prove you have enough funds to settle in
Canada.
**All documents in a language other than English or French must be translated. Provide both a
photocopy of the document and the translation in English or French. **