Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP)

The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are economic immigration programs that allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and are interested in settling in a particular province. PNPs are different from Express Entry: while both programs are aimed at non-Canadian nationals obtaining permanent residence, PNPs are provincially regulated programs whereas Express Entry is a federally regulated program.

Each Canadian province and territory has its own provincial nomination program, with specific annual allocations for the number of nominations it can issue and with its own selection eligibility criteria. The provinces have the right to determine their own program streams and requirements, generally targeting students, skilled workers, and businesspeople. This strategy benefits the provinces and territories, which can proactively seek residents to address their regional labour and skill shortages, while ensuring that the newcomers have access to the labour market which requires their skills.

There are two types of PNP programs: regular or “base” streams, and streams aligned with Express Entry (referred to as “EE-PNP”). Under the base programs, applicants submit their applications directly to the province they are seeking their nomination from, this step is called a submission of Expression of Interest (EOI). Upon review and approval of the EOI, applicants then receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) or a Nomination Letter (NL) from the province allowing them to submit a complete permanent residence application to the federal government for processing.

To participate in Express Entry aligned streams, the applicant must have a valid Express Entry profile, which indicates the province(s) or territories they are interested in immigrating to. This allows the specific province(s) to view the profile and assess the applicant’s experience in light of their own requirements. If the applicant is selected, they will receive an invitation to apply through the province, with a deadline to submit their application. The applicant must then comply and submit an EOI to the province and await the final NOI or NL.

Receiving a provincial nomination is one of the most valuable factors in the Express Entry pool, resulting in additional 600 points, thus practically guaranteeing that the candidate receives an invitation to apply for PR. Please note that 600 points are only allocated in the event of provincial nomination through Express Entry aligned streams.

 

Types of Provincial Nomination Programs

There are over 80 different PNP streams, with various requirements, targeting students and foreign workers.  Some of the common requirements include:

• Completion of post-secondary education in Canada (specifically in the same province where the applicant resides);
• Canadian work experience - one to two years in specific occupation or field;
• Meeting minimum language requirements;
• Personal connections to the province (ex. family or friend know to the applicant, completion of education, etc.);
• Meeting minimum settlement funds requirement.

Some categories targeting foreign workers in Canada on valid work permits may require employers’ involvement in the application process. In addition to providing the foreign worker with a valid job offer, employers may have to provide the company’s financial documents and previous recruitment details showing that no Canadian national was available to take the job at the time of the applicant’s hiring.

National Occupation Classification (NOC)

National Occupation Classification (NOC) is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labor market. It describes each job according to skill type and skill level. For immigration purposes, the following are the main job groups:

• Skill Type 0 (zero): Management jobs;
• Skill Level A:Professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university;
• Skill Level B:Technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice;
• Skill Level C: Intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training;
• Skill Level D: Labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training.

On your left, you will see a tab that lists each province in Canada. A general summary page of PNP requirements based on each province can be found by clicking on the name of the respective province.

If you are looking for an immigration lawyer, you do not have to look any further, as our firm will gladly assist you with your immigration matter. At UL Lawyers, for all immigration matters, we offer free consultation for the first 15 minutes and in the event our law firm is retained, we will credit the consultation fee towards your legal fees. For more information, you can contact us via telephone or WhatsApp at 1-905-744-8888 or email us at info@ullaw.ca. We look forward to assisting you with your immigration matter.

On this page, we prepared a summary of eligibility requirements for individuals interested in PNP programs outlining basic and general requirements for all provinces. These options are generally applicable to those individuals that are not generating a competitive CRS score within Express Entry to obtain an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence. Please note that not all of these programs are linked with Express Entry resulting in additional 600 points. We will mention if that is the case for any one of these programs.

General criteria applicable to all programs is ensuring potential candidate’s admissibility against financial, health and criminal factors per IRCC (Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada) regulations. All applicants that are inside Canada must ensure to have valid status as a student or a worker at the time of submission an application.

Below you will find general summarized bullet points of program requirements from each province. Please keep in mind that program criteria and program availability can change at any time, for an accurate and individual assessment we encourage you to contact us for a consultation via telephone or WhatsApp at 1-905-744-8888 or you contact us by email at info@ullaw.ca.

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from an Alberta employer and have qualifying work experience in the same eligible occupation relating to previous work experience.
2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with ABPNP.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a BC employer and/or have qualifying work experience in BC.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. have completed post-secondary education in Canada in the past 3 years of at least 8 months in duration. For college diploma and Bachelor’s degree holders, applicants must have a valid job offer from a BC employer.

2. there is a separate stream for Master’s or PhD degree holders, please refer to this link for a list of valid degrees under this sub-stream. No job offer is necessary for this sub-stream.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with BCPNP.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a MB employer and/or have qualifying work experience in MB.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. must be a graduate of a post-secondary institution in MB (minimum 1 year program) within the past 3 years.

2. must have a job offer from an employer in MB, previous work experience in MB, or complete eligible internship programs.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a NB employer and/or have qualifying work experience in NB.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. must be enrolled in a public post-secondary institution in NB.

2. must have a valid education credential assessment as proof of completion of secondary school.

3. must have at least 1 year of previous work experience in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B).

Express Entry aligned programs are available with NBPNP.

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a NL employer and/or have qualifying work experience in NL.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with NLPNP.

1. this stream works closely with Labour Market Impact Assessment and is suitable for potential candidates that obtained a job offer from an NWT employer.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with NWTPNP.

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a NS employer and/or have qualifying work experience in NS.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with NSPNP.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from an ON employer or have previous experience working in ON.

   1. some programs will accept previous work experience without a job offer.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. have completed a PhD or Master’s program from eligible Ontario university within the last 2 years.

   1. No job offer required

2. have completed a post-secondary program from eligible Canadian university (at least 2 years in duration or 1 year if the program requires to have a post-secondary degree as an admission requirement).

   1. must have a valid job offer for a skilled occupation (NOC Type 0, A or B) meeting wage rates established in ON for the occupation.

   2. must apply within 2 years after completing the program of study.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with ONPNP.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a PEI employer and/or have qualifying work experience in PEI.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. have completed a post-secondary education program from a public institution in PEI.

2. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a PEI employer in NOC 0, A or B.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with PEIPNP.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from an SK employer and/or have qualifying work experience in SK.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. have completed a post-secondary education program from an institution in Saskatchewan.

   1. applicants that completed post-secondary education in other provinces can still apply under this program. 6-month work experience must be gained on post-graduation work permit (after graduation) under this scenario.

2. have worked for a minimum of 6 months gained on a valid study permit, co-op work permit, or post-graduation work permit.

3. have a full-time, indeterminate job offer matching field of study.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with SKPNP.

Temporary Foreign Workers:

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a QC employer and/or have qualifying work experience in QC.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Students:

1. Must have completed one of the following education credentials from Quebec:

   1. Bachelor’s Degree (University Undergraduate).

   2. Maitrise/Master (et le MBA), Doctorat.

   3. DEC – diploma of college studies, technical training.

   4. DEP – diploma of vocational studies) attesting to 1800 hours of study or more.

   5. DEP followed by ASP – attestation of vocational specialization) attesting to a minimum of 1800 hours of continuing education and leading to a particular trade.

2. have completed minimum work experience depending on the education credential (12 months for university graduates and 18 months for college graduates).

3. meet minimum language requirements.

1. have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a YK employer.

2. be qualified to perform the duties of the job by meeting education, language, licensure requirements (if applicable) and previous related work experience.

Express Entry aligned programs are available with YKPNP.