Five Canadian provinces have invited candidates to apply for the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP), a pathway for economic immigration.
Under the PNP, provinces choose candidates most likely to successfully integrate into their workforce. Provinces find these candidates either through the federal Express Entry pool or through direct applications.
The PNP works because immigration is a shared responsibility between federal and provincial governments. Each year, the federal government allocates a set number of nominations to each province (except Quebec and Nunavut, which don’t have PNPs). By the end of 2023, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to admit 105,550 new permanent residents through the PNP.
Provincial Immigration Results (August 26 – September 1): Ontario:
On August 30, 772 candidates were invited through the Masters Graduate stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
The draw was general, with no specific occupation required, and candidates needed a minimum score of 44.
Eligibility for this stream includes having an Ontario master’s degree, a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 in an official language, sufficient settlement funds, and one year of residency in Ontario in the past two years.
British Columbia:
On August 29, British Columbia conducted its weekly draw. More than 150 candidates from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams were invited in four separate draws.
The largest draw invited 102 candidates with tech occupations, requiring a minimum score of 88.
Other draw results included:
- 28 early childhood educators and assistants
- 20 healthcare professionals
- Less than five invitations for other priority occupations Candidates in each of these draws needed a minimum score of 60.
Alberta:
On August 24, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) held a draw. The province invited 168 candidates through the Family Connection and Primary Occupation in Demand stream. These candidates have immediate family members living in Alberta.
All invited candidates were also part of the Express Entry pool. In this draw, they needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 302.
Manitoba:
On August 30, Manitoba conducted its first region-specific draw of the year. In this draw, 288 candidates in the Skilled Worker stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) received invitations.
Eligible candidates had to declare that they are currently employed in Manitoba and plan to live outside of Winnipeg, the provincial capital. They also needed a minimum score of 600.
Prince Edward Island (PEI):
PEI invited 22 candidates through the Labour and Express Entry stream of the PEI PNP on August 31. Invitations went to individuals working in healthcare, manufacturing, food processing, and construction sectors.
Since September 2022, PEI has invited a total of 2,602 candidates, with 97% of invitations issued in the Labour and Express Entry stream.
