What is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a Canadian immigration program which individual provinces and territories manage to allow immigration from groups of people who meet local labour market needs and shortages.
Since immigration is managed at a federal level, the provinces cannot issue immigration visas themselves. Instead what they do is “nominate” candidates who are eligible for one of their province specific programs to the federal immigration body, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). IRCC then process the immigration application, approve or reject, and issue the immigration papers.
Through the PNP you can become a permanent resident of Canada but you must plan to live in the province or territory who nominates you. At least initially. Once you are a permanent resident you can live in any province or territory you want.
How do I apply to the Provincial Nominee Program?
Each province and territory has a number of their own nominee immigration programs, so your first step is check to see if you meet the requirements of any of them.
If you have the skills or experience that a particular province or territory needs, you can apply to that province under one of their province specific immigration programs. The criteria for each province and territory changes depending on their labour needs.
You can apply either using Express Entry or a paper based application.
Who is eligible to apply to the Provincial Nominee Program?
If you want to use the Express Entry mechanism to apply, you will have to meet the minimum requirements of one of the three, federal, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) schemes managed through the Express Entry mechanism. You can check the minimum requirements in our articles for each at the links below:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program. For skilled workers with no Canadian work experience.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program. For qualified tradespeople.
- Canadian Experience Class. For skilled workers with recent Canadian work experience.
If you meet the minimum requirements of one of the federal programs then you can apply to the specific provincial nomination program that works for you. The requirements for each provincial program varies significantly depending on what skills are in demand in that province at the time.
You can check what provincial nominee programs are open for each province and territory below.
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Express Entry PNP application process
The first step is to apply to the provincial nominee program that you have chosen. This application is done outside the Express Entry system and exactly how you do this varies from province to province and program to program.
If you’re successful in your application to the provincial program, the province then “nominates” you for permanent residency to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Nomination essentially means that the province indicates to IRCC that you meet the requirements of one of their programs.
At this point you need to create an Express Entry profile (or update your profile if you already have one) to show that you have been nominated and give the province your Express Entry profile number and Job Seeker Validation Code.
The province uses these unique IDs to confirm the nomination to IRCC.
In the IRCC Express Entry portal you then get a notification, which you need to accept, saying that the province has nominated you.
By being nominated on the Provincial Nominee Program, you get 600 extra points in the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which, combined with the other points you get for meeting the minimum requirements of Express Entry should get you enough points to get an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residency.
At this point you follow the normal Express Entry process to complete your Invitation to Apply and get your permanent residency.
Using Express Entry to get a provincial nomination.
You can use the Express Entry system to help get a provincial nomination. If you complete an Express Entry Profile before you have a provincial nomination, provinces and territories can search the pool to find candidates that meet their labour needs and send you a “notification of interest”.
You then contact the province or territory to discuss your options and apply through whatever provincial stream is appropriate.
I wouldn’t recommend following this approach in isolation. If you want to immigrate to Canada you need to be proactive and go out and find the program that works for you – but by being in the pool you’re covering as many bases as you can.
Paper-based PNP application process
Not all provincial nominee programs require or use the Express Entry mechanism. If you are not using Express Entry, you apply to one of the provinces’ non-Express Entry programs as per the specifics of that program.
Once you have been nominated by the province you fill out a paper based application as per the process outlined by IRCC here.
Do I need a job offer before I can apply to the Provincial Nominee Program?
No, you don’t need a job offer before you can use the PNP. Each province of territory will have different requirements but it’s not a prerequisite that you have a job offer.
Quebec Provincial Nominee Program
Quebec does not have a provincial nominee program because it has its own completely separate immigration program and doesn’t use Express Entry. If your intention is to settle in Quebec then you have to apply through a different process which is set out by the Quebec Government. You can find out about this program here.
It is worth noting however that once you have Canadian Permanent Residency – through whatever route – you can live in any province or territory in Canada, including Quebec.