Canada maintains a two-tiered immigration system, with a joint authority between Ottawa and the provinces, providing services for qualified employees at the federal and provincial levels.
Through a Nominee Programs (PNP) network, nearly all of the ten provinces and three territories in Canada are eligible to nominate qualified workers applicants for entry to Canada with the unique expertise needed by their local economies. Successful applicants obtaining a provincial or territorial nomination will then apply to federal immigration authorities for permanent residency in Canada. This is an important component of all provincial programs.
Many provinces also run their own categories under the Canada Express Entry System. As a result, the provinces have an increasing role in the selection of economic immigrants.
Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
Alberta is one of three provinces in the Prairie region of Canada, situated in western Canada. It is one of the country's fastest developing provinces and home to Calgary and Edmonton, two of the country's largest urban centres. The terrain of Alberta ranges from high mountains to glacial lakes, from vast boreal forests to lush prairies and dry badlands.
Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program
The Alberta Immigrant Candidate Program (AINP) is intended to address labour gaps in Alberta with individuals who possess the expertise and abilities. The AINP allows applications for qualified employees under the Alberta Opportunity line and under the Express Entry programme. It also runs one business programme, the Farmer Self-employed side.
The AINP consists of the following immigration streams:
British Columbia Immigration
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, characterised by the Pacific coastline and mountain ranges, and home to the third- in Canada, Vancouver. The economy of the province is complex and depends on a large natural resource industry, with a emphasis on forestry and mining.
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP)
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) is intended to speed up the process for those who plan to receive permanent resident status in Canada and who expect to live permanently in British Columbia.
The system is run in association with the Federal Immigration Service, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), through the British Columbia government. Involved applicants must follow a two-stage process: apply to the provincial government for nomination, and then apply to the federal government for permanent residency, if nominated. Each year IRCC allocates a limited number of nominees to BC PNP. The BC PNP accepts applications under two main immigration streams:
Skills Immigration
BC PNP Skills Immigration is divided into the following categories:
Skilled Worker Category: This Category Is For Individuals Who Have Received An Eligible Job Offer In A Skilled Occupation. Workers Are Expected To Have Several Years Of Experience In Their Skilled Occupation.
Health Care Professional Category: Under This Category Individuals With Experience And Eligible Job Offers, As Physicians, Nurses, Psychiatric Nurses Or Allied Health Professionals May Apply. An Eligible Job Offer Must Be Acquired For One Of 11 Qualifying Health Occupations.
International Graduate Category: This Category Is For Individuals Who Have Graduated From An Eligible Canadian University Or College In The Last Three Years. A Job Offer Must Be Obtained From A BC Employer To Be Eligible Under This Sub-Category.
International Post-Graduate Category: This Category Is For Graduates With Masters Or Doctoral Degrees From An Eligible Educational Institution In British Columbia In The Natural, Applied, Or Health Sciences Programs Of Study. No Job Offer Is Required To Apply Under This Sub-Category.
Entry Level And Semi-Skilled Worker Category: Workers In Certain Entry-Level Or Semi-Skilled Positions In Tourism/Hospitality, Food Processing, Or Long-Haul Trucking, Or Those In Entry-Level Or Semi-Skilled Positions Living And Working In The Northeast Development Region Of British Columbia, May Be Eligible For Immigration Through This Program.
Entrepreneur Immigration:
Individuals who intend to settle and invest in British Columbia may be eligible for Canadian permanent residence under this immigration stream. This program is broken down into two categories:
Manitoba Immigration
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) selects candidates for Manitoba immigration based on the province’s specific economic needs.
Those streams are:
The program’s aim is to be flexible to Manitoba’s labour market and broader economic priorities. Those priorities are communicated to candidates via a regularly updated list of In-Demand Occupations. Manitoba also welcomes exploratory visits from francophone skilled worker immigration candidates, aimed at helping them integrate quickly when they arrive permanently in the province
New Brunswick Immigration
The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program targets qualified candidates who meet specific economic and labour market needs in the province. Under the NBPNP, candidates can qualify through one of four categories:
Candidates can also qualify for New Brunswick immigration via the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.
Newfoundland Immigration
The Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) nominates individuals to the federal government wishing to obtain Canadian permanent residence. The NLPNP Immigration Categories:
Northwest Territories and Nunavut Immigration
Foreign nationals wishing to relocate to Northwest Territories may apply under the Northwest Territories Program for provincial nomination. An application may be submitted under one of the following four categories:
At present, Nunavut has no immigrant nominee program.
Nova Scotia Immigration
The Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) targets prospective immigrants who have the skills and experience to boost the province’s economy and tackle demographic challenges.Candidates who meet the criteria of one of nine different streams can be nominated for Nova Scotia immigration, with a target processing time of three months.
The nine streams are:
Nova Scotia also operates ‘Study and Stay’, a program specifically aimed at helping international students from China, India and the Philippines stay and build careers in the region after they graduate.
Ontario Immigration
Ontario is the most populous province in Canada, home to Ottawa, the nation's capital and its largest city, Toronto. It is the top producing province in Canada, and abounds in natural resources.
The main part of its economy, however, is the services sector, which employs 79 percent of the province and includes industry, banking, medical and technical services, as well as culture and arts.
The rugged terrain of Ontario extends from the rocky and mineral-rich Canadian Shield to over 250,000 lakes that make up one-fifth of the world's freshwater reservoirs.
In comparison, about 60 percent of the province's territory is listed as forested land, accounting for 2 percent of the world's wood. Multiculturalism is widely celebrated in Ontario, with Toronto being dubbed the world's most multicultural region.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) supports employers by facilitating the immigration of managerial, professional and skilled foreign workers and international students required to meet their human resources needs.
The province of Ontario operates the OINP in partnership with the federal immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Interested candidates must follow a two-stage process: apply for nomination to the provincial government, and then, if nominated, apply for permanent residence to the federal government.
OINP Streams
The OINP manages three immigration categories: Human Capital, Employer Job Offer and Business Immigration. Each category is further divided into several streams. The OINP accepts applications under the following immigration categories:
Ontario Express Entry
General Category (Sometimes Referred To As Employer Job Offer Category)
International Student Category
Business Category
Prince Edward Island Immigration
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program expedites immigration to Canada for individuals and their families who meet provincial criteria in support of four initiatives: increased business and economic development, increased supply of skilled workers, increased population and achievement of provincial demographic, social and cultural objectives.The PEI PNP accepts applications under three major immigration categories:
PEI PNP Express Entry:
Saskatchewan Immigration
The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) allows the province to nominate candidates to the federal government for permanent residence under three main categories:
These categories are divided into several sub-categories for different types of immigration candidate.
What Are Saskatchewan’s Immigration Streams?
International Skilled Worker | Saskatchewan Experience | Business |
---|---|---|
Employment Offer | Skilled Worker With Existing Work Permit | Entrepreneur |
Occupation-In-Demand | Semi-Skilled Agriculture Worker With Existing Work Permit | International Graduate Entrepreneur |
Saskatchewan Express Entry | Hospitality Sector Pilot Project | Farm Owners/Operators |
Long Haul Truck Drivers | Young Farmers | |
Students |
Yukon Immigration
Candidates wishing to settle in Yukon and become Canadian permanent residents can apply through four categories:
To learn more about eligibility requirements for all immigration streams under different Nominee Programs, contact us.
Do you have the Skills Immigration stream to fill a high-demand occupation in BC PNP Express Entry? The Express Entry BC (EEBC) stream of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) connects to the federal Canada Express Entry system. It’s a faster way for eligible skilled workers to gain permanent residence in BC PNP Express Entry. Can Settle Immigration Services guide in BC PNP Express Entry Applications Canada.
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