A recent study from Statistics Canada highlights the significant transformation the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) brought within Canada’s immigration scenario.
Introduced between 1998 and 2009 across all provinces except Quebec and the Yukon, the PNP aims to disperse economic immigrants beyond major cities and meet labor needs across provinces and territories.
Each province manages its PNP, offering various streams for applicants. These streams cater to workers with or without job offers, entrepreneurs, and international students.
The PNP’s expansion has been substantial, with 68,000 provincial nominees in 2019. This program accounted for 35% of new immigrants in Canada, up from 1% in 2000.
While Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) set annual Immigration Level Plans, the PNP’s growth surpasses the Express Entry system’s targets. By 2025, IRCC aims to welcome 117,500 permanent residents through the PNP.
Shifting Immigration Patterns
The study highlights a decentralization trend in economic immigration concurrent with PNP growth. Immigration distribution shifted significantly from 2000 to 2019. Ontario’s share declined from 61% to 42%, and British Columbia’s from 17% to 15%. Prairie provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Atlantic gained larger shares.
Changing Nominee Characteristics
PNP evolution reshaped the selected immigrants’ characteristics. Notably, the preference for nominees with prior Canadian earnings (temporary foreign workers) increased from 6% in 2002 to 72% in 2021.
The number of PNP immigrants with pre-immigration Canadian study experience rose to 38% in 2019 from 7% in 2010.
Younger immigrants aged 20 to 29 increased from 24% in 2005 to 38% in 2019, showing better long-term economic outcomes.
Language skills improved significantly, and immigrants from Asia dominated, comprising 70% of provincial nominees in 2019.
Future Implications
The PNP’s growth fosters regional decentralization of immigration to address diverse labor and demographic challenges across Canada.
The study emphasizes that evolving PNP trends influence labor and demographic roles, underlining the program’s role in shaping Canada’s immigration landscape.
