Canada Provincial Nominee Program – The Canadian government understands that each territory or province has specific needs from the other regions and will require special provisions for individuals willing to immigrate to Canada.
Most provinces and territories understand the advantages the Canadian immigration system offers to develop their economy, expanding, and providing value to individuals, businesses, and the Canadian economy in general.
What is the Canada Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)?
The Provincial Nominee Program is an immigration program where express entry candidates can express their interest to provinces or territories to be nominated to settle in these territories.
Through this program, the provinces or territories can nominate individuals willing to live, settle, and work in their specific regions or territories. Each area has a particular labor market. Depending on what positions they have open, choose from the multiple express entry profiles available to them.
They also assess each individual’s intention to settle in the province to ensure that ideal candidates are chosen.
Under the PNP, you can either apply directly to the province or territory, wait to be nominated, or choose the express entry-linked process.
Who can apply for the Canada Provincial Nominee Program?
The application process for the Provincial Nominee Program is divided into two for the different types of applicants;
- Skilled Worker Program: Under this PNP, skilled workers with job offers from local, provincial business, or business sectors meet the local, provincial immigration needs.
- Business Immigration Program: This program is available for applicants who want to establish a new business, join an existing local business venture, or invest money in an existing local business.
As attractive as the Provincial Nominee Program is, some provinces or territories do not have a provincial nominee program or have provincial nominee programs specific to their needs. These include;
- Quebec: The Province of Quebec does not have a PNP; instead, it sets its requirements for people who want to live, work, and settle in its province.
- British Columbia: British Columbia created the BC PNP Tech pilot program to offer an expedited immigration pathway for people with tech skills applying to be permanent residents.
Each province or territory has its streams. Like the express entry draws, applicants submit their profiles into each pool. Only when the applicant is nominated is he/she sent an invitation to apply.
What are the benefits of the Provincial Nominee Program?
Deciding to choose an immigration process has a lot to do with your selected immigration process’s benefits. The ultimate goal for any immigrant is to become a permanent resident, which directly affects what type of program the applicant chooses.
Some benefits of choosing the Provincial Nominee Program include;
- Faster processing time: The Provincial Nominee Program is a better choice for immigrants than the Express Entry system. It has a shorter processing time of 2 to 3 months.
- Easy access to job offers: When an applicant has the skills required by a province or territory, there are job openings for the applicant’s skills. This will also make securing a job offer more accessible.
- The faster way to permanent residence: When a province nominates an applicant, it is easier for applicants to apply for permanent residence.
- Better choice of immigration for applicants who don’t meet all the requirements for the Express Entry Program
How much does it cost to receive a Provincial Nominee Visa?
Depending on your province of choice, the Provincial Nominee Program varies from region to territory. Recently, British Columbia raised their PNP fees better to serve the increased number of applicants for the PNP.
The application fee for most skilled workers that have received a provincial nomination is between $250 to $2000, while entrepreneurial applicants have o pay higher fees between $1000 to $3000.
It is the second most popular immigration option for most express entry applicants. Once an applicant receives a provincial nomination, they automatically receive 600 points to their Comprehensive Ranking System score, which guarantees them an invitation to apply.
How do I check my eligibility for the Provincial Nominee Program?
The Provincial Nominee program is for workers that;
- Have the skills, education, and work experience to contribute to the economy of the specific province or territory
- Express genuine interest in living in that province or territory
- Desire to become permanent residents of Canada.
Each province also targets specific groups of people, including students, skilled and semi-skilled workers, business people, and investors.
Other eligibility requirements can be checked on the official Canada Immigration website.
Not sure if you qualify for the Canada Provincial Nominee Program? Click here to check your eligibility for the Provincial Nominee Program using our free immigration assessment tool and get your results instantly.
