Canada’s four provinces Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia offer a path to PR (Permanent residence) through Provincial Nomination Draws. These draws were conducted between 28 January to 3 February.
A Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows people who are interested in being nominated for an appointment in their province or territory, except for Quebec and Nunavut. Furthermore, People seeking permanent residence in Canada can benefit greatly from this process. Quebec’s immigration system is unique compared to other provinces. It manages all economic class immigration, which is separate from the immigration programs of Canada. Québec is the only province that has full control over selecting and admitting immigrants of economic class.
A separate immigration program is operated by Quebec, the only province in Canada that does so. All economic class immigration is managed by the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) under the control of the province. Annually, the PNP admits 105,000 citizens for permanent residency – a steady increase from the previous year. Federal and provincial governments have supported the PNP since it was established in 1998 as a tool for promoting economic development outside of major cities.
A recent Express Entry draws specifically targeted PNP candidates, marking the first such draw since June 2022. Along with the draw, the IRCC granted 893 ITAs to Express Entry candidates who had previously received a nomination from a Canadian province or territory, except Quebec and Nunavut. Most provinces and territories align their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) with Express Entry, with the exception of these two. This draw was a departure from the all-program draws that took place between July and the recent PNP draw.
Provincial Nomination draws results between 28 January to 3 February
Ontario
611 candidates applied through the Employer Job Offer: FWS – (Foreign Worker stream) of the ONIP – (Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program) on January 31. A minimum score of 53 was required for candidates to qualify for the draw, which focused on healthcare and technology-related occupations. The TEER category consists of NOC categories 0, 1, 2, and 3 for those with a full-time job offer in Ontario.
On February 2, Ontario also conducted two targeted draws under the HCPS – (Human Capital Priorities stream). Invitations were extended to 1,175 applicants with a minimum score of 481-489 in tech-related occupations. And to 725 applicants with a minimum score of 476-489 in healthcare occupations.
Alberta
The second round of draw results for 2023 in Alberta was conducted on January 23rd. The AAIP – (Alberta Advantage Immigration Program’s) Express Entry stream received 154 notifications of letters of interest. Additionally, the province issued 46 letters of interest on January 19. According to Alberta’s announcement, AAIP will select candidates from the federal Express Entry pool based on a combination of in-demand occupations and immediate family connections.
AAIP eligibility criteria have not changed in any stream.
British Columbia
More than 279 individuals were invited to apply for provincial nominations on January 31. An Express Entry draw was conducted specifically for candidates in tech-related occupations. A total of 243 candidates were selected from both the Skilled Worker and International Graduate categories.
The SIRS required a minimum score of 85 for those drawn from the talent Worker and foreign Graduate streams. British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program – (BCPNP) uses SIRS in the same way as the Express Entry CRS.
Individuals whose occupations fall under the following categories were also invited:
- Invitations to apply were extended to early childhood educators and assistants who received a score of 60 or more points, with 18 invitations being issued in total.
- In total, 18 invitations were issued to healthcare workers with 60 points or higher from the Express Entry, talent workers, and foreign graduates.
- Applicants with 60 points or more were also encouraged to apply if they worked in other in-demand occupations.
Manitoba
On January 30, Manitoba released 21 letters of advice to apply for its special immigration program for Ukrainian refugees. This program is only accessible to applicants who meet the following criteria:
- A Ukrainian citizen.
- Candidates must possess a minimum of 4 CLB in every language band.
- Having family ties to Manitoba, having close friends in the province, working or studying there, or having family in the province.
- A valid language proficiency test is required.
- Comply with the 60-point assessment criteria set forth by the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
