Provincial Nominee Program is an option for people who know which province or territory they wish to settle in. If you wish to come to Canada as a Provincial Nominee, you must first apply to the province where you wish to settle and complete that province’s selection process. Each province selects applicants based on its immediate needs in the labour market. Persons who apply under this program must have the skills, education, and work experience required to make an immediate contribution to the economy of the province or territory they have chosen as their new home.

The Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) allows provinces to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province. Provincial Nomination is an important fast-track option for Canadian Permanent Residency.

How a person will apply depends on which Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream they are applying to. They might need to apply using the paper-based process, or the online process through Express Entry.

In both cases, applicants must apply in two stages:

1. First, they must decide where they want to live in Canada and apply to that province or territory for a nomination. The authorities will review the applications based on:

• their immigration needs,
• if the applicants really plan to live there, and,

For Express Entry only—if they meet the minimum criteria of at least one of the federal immigration programs covered by Express Entry.

2. After a province or territory nominates an applicant, they must apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. IRCC will assess their application based on Canadian immigration law.

• If their nomination is through Express Entry, they must be invited to apply by IRCC before they can submit an electronic application for permanent residence.

As part of the process, they will have to pass a medical exam and get a police check(certificate). All immigrants must have these checks, no matter where they plan to live in Canada.

Eligibility Criteria