Through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Canadian territories and provinces can nominate immigrants who want to move to a particular province.
This means that applicants who want to get obtain permanent residence to Canada can get the nomination of the province they want to move to. This nomination helps immensely in getting you invited to apply for the Canadian permanent residence.
Each Canadian province (Nunavut and Quebec excluded) have their own Provincial Nominee Programs.
They also have their own immigration programs, called “streams”, that are aimed at certain groups of people, like students, workers, entrepreneurs, etc. Each province’s PNP has at least one stream that’s connected with Canada’s immigration selection system, the Express Entry.
Gaining the nomination from a territory boosts your Express Entry points by 600, giving you an almost automatic invitation to apply for the Canadian permanent residence visa.
See below to learn more about how Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program works, what makes someone eligible for it, and how you can apply.
How Does the Provincial Nominee Program work?
So, you want to live in one of Canada’s provinces. You will need a permanent Canadian residence visa to do that. In order to boost your chances of obtaining a Canadian permanent residence visa, you can apply to the province you want to live in for a nomination.
You can do this through the Provincial Nominee Program.
The Canadian provinces that offer a PNP are:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
If the province you want to live in gives you a nomination, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will send you an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for residency.
The PNP program is aimed to people who:
- Want to have a permanent residence visa for Canada
- Want to live in one particular province
- Have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to the economy of that province
How to apply for the Provincial Nominee Program?
The ways you can apply for a Provincial Nominee Program depends on the province you are applying to.
You will have to visit the official site of the province you are interested in and see what the application and eligibility requirements are. You can find a list of all the Canadian Provinces and links to their contacts in IRCC’s PNP eligibility site.
In some provinces, you can apply through the Express Entry System. In others, you will need to apply to the province directly and see if they give you a nomination.
Applying through the Express Entry System
There are two ways in which you can apply for the PNP via Express Entry:
Contact the province/territory you want to apply in
You apply for a nomination from a particular province under one of their Express Entry streams.
If they nominate you, you can update your Express Entry profile and show that you have been nominated. If you do not have an Express entry account, you will have to create one.
You will receive your nomination through your account, and you’ll have to accept it electronically.
Show an interest in specific provinces/territories via Express Entry
When you create your Express Entry profile, you can show interest in certain provinces/territories.
One of the provinces you were interested in will send you a “notification of interest” if they want to nominate you. If they do so, you have to contact them directly.
Then, you have to apply to their Express Entry stream.
If they choose you for a nomination, they will send it to you through your account, and you’ll have to accept it electronically.
If you are nominated (by either of the two above-mentioned methods) you will receive 600 CRS (Comprehensive Ranking Score) points to your Express Entry profile. Since Express Entry ranks potential immigrants by how many CRS points they have, 600 points will get you noticed. It will boost your chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence by the IRCC.
If the IRCC invites you to apply, they will contact you through your account. Then, you have to apply for permanent residence online.
An Express Entry invitation to apply for permanent residence is only valid for 60 days. You will have to apply within that time frame.
Applying directly to a province
If you want to apply directly to a particular province’s Provincial Nominee Program, you will have to get acquainted with its eligibility and application requirements. You can do this by visiting their websites.
For the direct Provincial Nominee Program, the process is:
- Apply to the desired province’s PNP.
- Meet all of their eligibility requirements.
- You will be assessed on that particular province’s point system/criteria.
- If you receive a nomination, they will send you a nomination letter.
- You have to submit a paper application for permanent residence to IRCC.
Keep in mind that this process takes longer than the Express Entry process.
After you have received your nomination
Once you have received your nomination via PRP, you can then submit your permanent residence application.
Requirements for the Provincial Nominee Program
The following documents are required to apply under the Canadian PNP:
- Copies of travel documents and passports.
- Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ).
- Confirmation of nomination from your province.
- Proof of language proficiency.
- Birth certificates.
- If applicable: Marriage certificate/divorce or annulment certificate (if married more than once, provide documents for each).
- If applicable: Death certificate for former spouse/common-law partner.
- If you have a common-law partner: Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409 – original) and proof you have lived together for a minimum of 12 months (shared apartment lease, shared bills, shared address on documents.)
- If applicable: Information on your child, such as birth certificate, adoption papers, or proof of custody.
- If applicable: National IDs or family or household registry/book.
- Police Certificates and Clearances. They should be from every country/territory you’ve lived in for six or more months.
- Photographs according to Canada’s photo requirements.
- PNP fee receipts.
Application forms for the Provincial Nominee Program
- Generic Application Form to Canada (IMM 0008)
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]
- Additional Family Information [IMM 5406]
- Schedule 4: Economic Classes: Provincial Nominees [IMM 0008 SCHEDULE 4]
- If applicable: Schedule 4A: Economic Classes: Provincial Nominees – Business Nominees [IMM 0008 SCHEDULE 4A]
- Supplementary Information – Your travels [IMM 5562]
- Separation Declaration for Minors Travelling to Canada [IMM 5604]
- Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union [IMM 5409]
- Use of a Representative [IMM 5476]