Canada is the top choice for migration because of its world-class education system, multicultural society, thriving economy, accessible healthcare, and lastly, natural beauty. Canada has always been very welcoming to immigrants. Earlier this year, the federal government announced Canada would aim to welcome over one million new permanent residents between 2020 and 2022. Data from New Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals Canada welcomed 15,025 new immigrants in September 2020.
If you’re someone looking to migrate to Canada, then you must be familiar already with the different immigration options. Some of the most popular options include Family Sponsorship, Live-In Caregiver Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program, Express Entry, and Provincial Nominee Program.
The Canada Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is one of the most accessible ways to settle in Canada. The Canadian Government has made an agreement with the provinces to have their own programs through which the province nominates an immigrant who wishes to live, settle, and work in that particular province.
What is the Provincial Nominee Program?
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) was set up to address the labour shortage in the provinces. If you are a skilled professional with experience in technology, finance, healthcare, or education you can move to Canada through the PNP program. Following are the different provinces offering PNP:
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) was set up to address the labour shortage in the provinces. If you are a skilled professional with experience in technology, finance, healthcare, or education you can move to Canada through the PNP program. Following are the different provinces offering PNP:
· Alberta Provincial Nominee Program
This western province, home to thriving cities like Calgary, and Edmonton is the fourth most populated province of Canada. Alberta attracts immigrants to work in its oil and gas industry. It offers PNP streams to both Express Entry as well as non-Express entry applicants.
· British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
British Columbia is the third most populated province. The BCPNP offers a wide range of streams for students, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and skilled labour. The three main categories under BCPNP include Express Entry, Skilled Immigration, and Entrepreneur Immigration.
· Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program
This western province of Canada has over 110,000 lakes. People immigrate to Manitoba to establish permanent residency. Manitoba’s PNP has undergone huge changes and introduced many new streams for immigrants. It has two categories for workers, one category for International Students, and one for Business Investors.
· New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program
New Brunswick, located at the east is one of the four Atlantic provinces of Canada. Its PNP is looking for immigrants to contribute to the economic growth of the province. It has three categories for skilled workers, and the other two for entrepreneurs.
· Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program
Newfoundland and Labrador are also one of the four Atlantic provinces, located at the extreme east of the country. Some of the most important professions in this province are mining, oil production, manufacturing, and financial services. It has five streams for skilled workers, international students, and entrepreneurs.
· Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program
Nova Scotia is the second smallest of Canadian provinces. Although its PNPs are very diversified, few of them are aligned toward physicians. It is an increasingly popular destination among immigrants.
· Northwest Territories Provincial Nominee Program
This federal territory is located in the northwest of Canada. There are four streams under the Northwest territories PNP, and only one of them is express entry aligned. For moving here, you should have a job offer.
· Nunavut Provincial Nominee Program
Nunavut is the newest, and largest territory of Canada. There is no Nunavut PNP or any services available to the immigrants.
· Ontario Provincial Nominee Program
Ontario, the most populated province is the most popular destination for immigrants. Canada’s largest city Toronto is also located here. Its PNP with 9 streams is one of the most diversified PNPs in Canada. Three of the streams are Express Entry aligned.
· Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program
The smallest province of Canada, Prince Edward Island welcomes immigrants based on their skills, and their willingness to work for the growth of the economy, and the current in-demand occupations. Some of the in-demand professions are Engineers, Healthcare professionals, Social workers, Industry labour.
· Quebec Provincial Nominee Program
Quebec has a unique agreement on immigration with the Government of Canada. The province has its own rules and foreign nationals have to go through a two-step immigration process. Quebec selects candidates who demonstrate skills to become financially established there.
· Saskatchewan Provincial Nominee Program
Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) follows the process of provincial nomination in choosing immigrants, which means Saskatchewan chooses its nominees to present to the Government of Canada for permanent residence. Its PNP has 4 categories for skilled workers, entrepreneurs, international graduates, and farm owners.
· Yukon Provincial Nominee Program
The territory of Yukon is looking for candidates, workers, and businessmen to contribute to their economy. Its PNP has three streams for workers, and one for businessmen.
There are over 80 different schemes offered by these provinces. Quebec administers its own immigration programs which are distinct from those of federal and other provincial programs.
There are mainly two types of PNP Programs-
- The skilled worker PNP- This program allows quick processing for skilled workers. If you already have a job offer from a local provincial business in an occupation or sector that meets the local provincial needs, you’d be eligible to apply to this program.
- The business immigration program- If you want to invest money, establish a new business, or partner up with a local business in the province, you can apply through the business immigration PNP.
How does the Provincial Nominee Program work?
Under the Canadian immigration system, there are two main options you can choose for applying through the Provincial Nominee Program.
You can apply directly to a province you want to settle in. This is usually the longer process, it will take you several months before you find out whether your application has been selected. You should meet all the criteria of the province before applying.
Another process is the Express Entry PNP scheme. Almost every province in Canada has an Express Entry scheme along with a list of their in-demand occupations. When you apply through this scheme, a province directly selects your profile from the Express Entry pool on the basis of your skills and experience.
For someone seriously willing to move to Canada, the question might arise, “Which province is the easiest to get into?” Well, the answer is if you meet the PNP requirements, any province can be the easiest. However, it might be obvious that things would be easier if you already have a job offer from a particular province. Even if you don’t have a job offer, there are several popular PNP schemes that do not require applicants to have job offers.
Many Provincial Nominee Programs require applicants to have a link to the province. The applicant should have previous job, or previous study experience in the province. Many PNP streams benefit if you have already stayed in the province. It would be easier for a student to apply for permanent residence through PNP if they are already studying in the same province.
How Vcan Immigration can help you?
Finding the right PNP depends on your situation, skills, experience, as well as your ability to meet the local labour market. It could be confusing for applicants to understand the different schemes. Vcan Immigration Solutions is a Canada based immigration company. For the last 20 years, we have been helping students, businessmen, families, professionals, and skilled workers willing to migrate to Canada. Our experience and knowledge ensure that you find the PNP tailored for you. There have been several instances when candidates who did not qualify to immigrate to Canada under one of the many immigration programs qualified under a PNP. Reach out to us to know how you can take advantage of the Provincial Nominee Program.