The PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) is introduced in 1998 for the government of federal and provincial to reach the advantage of migration all over Canada. The province can choose those candidates who are qualified to support their economic development and IRCC grant them permanent resident status in Canada.
There are more than 80 PNP streams available that aim to attract graduates, workers, and entrepreneurs. Each territory and province manage its own PNP which is based on the different requirements of the labor force in the province.
Need for Provincial Nomination
Canada’s immigration program is the shared responsibility of the government of federal and provinces. However, for much of Canada’s history, the provinces did not have much influence. Due to this most of the newcomers to Canada settled in Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
Rural Canada, the prairie provinces, and Atlantic Canada lacked the benefits of immigration. The PNP was introduced to give jurisdictions across Canada the to attract and retain more newcomers. It has proven successful and is Canada’s leading economic class route in 2022 and 2023.
Way of working
Base PNP stream nomination
There are two options to obtain permanent residence via PNP. The way is the base PNP stream. This PNP stream allows a candidate to apply directly to a PNP stream.
The province will check the candidate’s application to make sure that all eligibility criteria for the PNP stream are met and then they provide a nomination letter to the candidate. From here the candidate has to apply to IRCC for permanent residence. According to IRCC, for those candidates who choose the base stream to immigrate to Canada their process of immigration will take an average of 27 months.
Enhanced PNP stream nomination
Another way to get permanent residency through PNP is via an enhanced nomination stream. The Enhanced PNP streams are set with the federal application management system of Express Entry. Those candidates who are qualified for any of the Express Entry programs such as CEC – (Canadian Experience Class), FSWP – (Federal Skilled Workers Program), and FSTP – (Federal Skilled Trade Program) can increase their chance to get an ITA.
After creating a profile in Express Entry, the provincial government can check it to ensure whether a candidate would be a good fit for the province. Candidates can also mention in their application where they wish to settle.
If the application will be approved then-candidate have to apply to the province. If candidates meet all the eligibility criteria of the program, they automatically get a nomination letter and are awarded 600 points in CRS. All this guarantees ITA from IRCC and increases the chances of permanent residency. The processing standard for Express Entry applications is six months.
Advantages of the PNP
Canada’s more than 80 PNP streams offer candidates more options than ever before to obtain permanent residency. The eligibility criteria are wide and many options are available for candidates with different human capital characteristics such as age, education, language skills, or work experience. Research also shows that PNP helps promote the economic establishment of newcomers.
The PNP has proven to be a successful way of attracting skilled workers to provinces that have historically not had large immigrant populations, such as the Prairies and Atlantic Provinces. By offering dedicated provincial routes like the recently announced program for healthcare workers in Saskatchewan, provinces are able to fill gaps in the workforce while offering skilled careers to newcomers.
In large provinces such as Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia where immigration levels are already high, PNPs help target specific provincial labor market needs in industries such as technology and health care.