Provincial Nominee

Immigration consultants favourite alternative to permanent residence

There are 12 provinces and territories in Canada which have their own provincial nominee (hereafter referred to as PNP) or immigration programs separate from the federal government which hosts the Express Entry platform. To follow, is a list of provinces and territories that have many streams or paths to permanent residence under the umbrella PNP program:

1. Alberta

2. British Columbia

3. Manitoba

4. New Brunswick 

5. Newfoundland and Labrador

6. Northwest Territories

7. Nova Scotia

8. Ontario

9. Prince Edward Island

10. Saskatchewan 

11. Yukon

12. Quebec* their own program which is not technically under the PNP agreement 

The targets for some of the provinces include certain industries that may be experiencing worker shortages such as the hotel industry or trucking industry. Most also have streams for skilled workers in different fields such as medical/health, construction, research, science, IT, engineering, technology sector, marketing and sales etc... Entrepreneurs and/or investors also comprise a section of some of the provincial nominee programs which is aimed at job creation inside Canada.

The benefits of most PNP programs are that they sometimes have lower language skill requirements and/or settlement funds requirements. They facilitate immigration for lower skilled immigrants which may not qualify under Express Entry. They also benefit graduates of Canadian institutions that may not have extensive work experience or lack the sufficient points to obtain an invitation on Express Entry. The downside to PNP programs, except Quebec, is that they are a 2 step process which takes much longer time wise. An immigration consultant at our firm can help you find the best program or put you on the right path to getting permanent residence.

The first step is to apply to the provincial nominee program itself and to await a decision on one's application. The second step is to apply to the federal government for permanent residence after a province has nominated an individual. Although the nomination certificate will only list the name of the primary applicant, their family including the spouse and children also become permanent residents if the primary applicant is successful in securing a provincial nomination using immigration services. 

More and more provinces have begun to issue nominations through Express Entry as well. This means that if you are in the pool on Express Entry, a province may express an interest in provincial nomination which would yield 600 points towards your CRS score of Express Entry. As such there is some overlap between the provincial and federal paths to permanent residence. This is a very strong positive factor as there is more opportunity for people with the same basic attributes or qualifications. 

To follow is a list of factors that may be conducive to success using one of the PNP streams, but is not necessarily a requirement:

* approved immigration language test in English or French

* job offer in Canada

* settlement funds

* certificate of qualification for regulated professions

* education in the province of nomination

* previous employment history in the province of nomination

* established residence in the province 

* family members in the province

* education evaluation or ECA for those who completed education abroad

* business plan and financial means or high personal net worth for business class applicants in some provinces

If any of the above factors are applicable in your situation, there may be a pathway to permanent residence or an opportunity to explore our immigration service solutions. Each province has its own application process that may be either web form based or paper based. Some use a point system and select applicants with the highest ranking while others request that an applicant meets a certain list of criteria prior to considering applying and if they do indeed meet all of the criteria, they, or their immigration lawyer, or consultant can apply on their behalf.

The kinds of documents that can be expected to be required under phase 1 (provincial) and phase 2 (federal) of the application process to become a permanent resident through a provincial nominee program is approximately as follows:

- birth certificates & translations, if applicable

- marriage certificate(s) & translations, if applicable

- divorce judgements & translations

- valid passports (at least 2 years) for principal applicant and family members

- work permit (LMIA based or open work permit)

- criminal record clearences

- immigration medical

- proof of education including diploma and transcripts and/or ECA (Education Credential Assessment)

- proof of employment history including reference letters

- resume or CV

- spousal education, language and employment records may be required but this is not usually the case

- lock-in age for children under 22 years old is locked in at the time a file number is assigned by the provincial nominee program

As such, the provinces and territories offer opportunities to people who possess skills that may be deficient in their local labour market. It is often the case that these programs are driven by local labour needs and shortages. They may or may not be simpler and easier for certain individuals and families. An immigration lawyer can help you decide. But certainly what is the case today may not be the same tomorrow so one must always stay on top of the newest developments and be ready to see some fluency in this category of immigration to Canada.