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Discover the Provincial Nominee Programs for Canadian immigration.
In recent years, Canada has become a new home to more than 400,000 newcomers annually, all immigrating through different immigration programs. On this page, you will learn about Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), which are often used for personal immigration and business immigration.
Does securing a Canadian permanent residency sound appealing to you? Do you envisage turning over the page and moving to Canada to start the next chapter of your life? If yes, then this page is for you!
What is PNP Canada?
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP Canada) is an immigration system and a way to respond to Canada’s need for new and urgent immigration. Essentially, as the name suggests, PNP Canada is designed to give the provincial/territorial governments the discretion to invite immigrants depending on labour needs through local discretionary nominations. Under Canada’s PNP programs, applicants obtain permanent residency as a final outcome of their efforts.
There are 80 immigration PNP streams in Canada which seek to provide individuals with Canadian permanent residency. Some territories, such as Quebec and Nuvanut, have their systems – for instance, Quebec has opted to determine its economic immigration selection process.
To put this into context, Canada comprises 10 provinces and 3 territories governed under the Canadian Constitution. Although the federal government is responsible for national immigration laws and regulations, provinces also enjoy some freedom regarding immigration through the Provincial Nominee Programs. It is referred to as concurrent jurisdiction over immigration matters.
PNP Canada Requirements: Who Is Eligible for PNP Canada?
The PNP Canada requirements in 2024 can be divided into:
PNP Business Immigration Canada
Entrepreneurs can enjoy owning and growing a business in Canada through the Business Immigration PNPs. Typically, entrepreneurs need a financial business plan to develop their business and declare their net worth and the capital they are willing to put into the provincial economy. Usually, a net worth of CAD $250,000 will add points to the entrepreneur’s PNP, depending on the province they seek to relocate to. Most times, relevant work experience in managing a business from the same category plays a beneficial role in your application.
Although PNP programs are one of Canada’s most searched-for immigration pathways, they might not be the fastest or the best for you. We strongly suggest you consider the Intra-Company Transfer program, Entrepreneur Work Permit program, Canada’s Start-up visa program, or LMIA work permits when searching for a suitable immigration program.
Entrepreneurs will typically need to hold at least 33.33% shares in a business, and their investment in a province or territory will be set at a certain minimum from as low as CAD $125,000 to as much as CAD $3,000,000. Investment amounts may differ within provinces. For instance, the Vancouver and Abbotsford areas in the Province of British Columbia require that investors bring twice as much net worth and investments as what they would contribute to the other parts of the province. Exploratory visits are usually also recommended, with New Brunswick even setting a term of five business days to complete this activity.
PNP Personal Immigration Canada
Personal Immigration PNPs are available to skilled and semi-skilled workers with certain abilities, industry knowledge, and work experience within their industry. Not every PNP scheme mandates that candidates ought to have a job offer. However, nominees must meet certain education, linguistic proficiency (English and/or French), age, and medical fitness criteria. Individual nominees should be committed to obtaining permanent residence in their chosen province and will sign paperwork proving their intent to reside. Those invited to the province as a nominee are usually also able to bring their spouses, dependents and/or children.
Workers should pay all PNP and subsequently arising charges. The federal government has designated PNP dates when invitations to nominees are issued through the PNP draw. Following the latest PNP updates and PNP draws is a good practice.
How to Apply for PNP in Canada?
You can apply for a PNP program by:
Applying to a PNP program directly – the province will review your application based on the selection criteria and the points system. If you are found to be a suitable candidate, the province will give you a nomination letter, which you can use to apply for PR;
OR
Applying through the Express Entry System – your profile will be visible to all provinces and territories in this case. If selected, you will receive an invitation to apply for an Express Entry stream of that province’s or territory’s PNP.
If you are successful at your PNP application in either of the pathways, you will be granted 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System. You will be able to use these points in your Express Entry application.
A preliminary piece of advice is first to give your very best in researching the labour market and employment needs of the province you intend to immigrate to. There is no point going for a certain role in a chosen province or territory if you cannot meet the PNP requirements, let alone if the region does not need people from your area of employment.
Bearing this in mind, you will then have to decide which province you will apply to in order to be nominated for PNP. You can familiarize yourself with the different streams in this page’s ‘List of Programs’ section below, where you can access each stream’s application guide and forms through the provided links.
PNP Canada Costs
PNP Canada costs are reflected in the provinces’ discretionary immigration powers, so prices vary. This section only refers to application fees paid to the government and associate expenses – it does not include investment costs or lawyer fees for business PNP streams. You can estimate your PNP business immigration costs with our fee calculator.
There are several free-of-charge PNP programs, though provinces tend to provide PNPs for minimal fees ranging between $250 and $350. These fees apply to the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program, the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program and the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program.
Medium-priced PNP programs include a $500 fee for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program and Quebec schemes capped at $785, the latter of which may be supplemented by $168 each for the primary applicant’s spouse/partner and child to move to Canada. The most expensive PNPs include the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program ($1,150) and the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, which can be topped at $2,000 and no less than $1,500.
Due to extra expenditures, PNP fees range between $2,300 and $3,800. Let us take Quebec as an example of additional fees:
Mandatory visa fees ($550 for the applicant and their spouse and $150 for dependents);
Right to Permanent Residence Fees ($490);
Language tests ($300);
Police verification fees ($100);
Medical examination payments ($450 for adults and $200 less for children); and
Government fees ($225 per child, jumping to $1,325 per adult).
In other words – it is advisable to have enough savings to cover the total costs, not just the PNP fees.
PNP Canada Processing Time
The PNP PR processing time depends on the applicant’s entry type and the province they have applied to.
An Express Entry PNP applicant will receive priority in their application review, so their PNP Express Entry would take about 5 to 6 months. A standard non-Express Entry application for PNP vs an Express Entry would always come second on the province’s list, so expect the processing time to be anywhere between 12 and 24 months.
Quebec, a province with distinctive PNP requirements, previously processed PNP nominations in just 20 days, although it has instead elected to adopt the maximum 6-month processing model.
