Five Canadian provinces have invited candidates under the PNP

Five Canadian provinces have invited candidates to apply for nomination under the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP). The PNP is a program through which provinces in Canada select economic immigration candidates who are likely to successfully integrate into their provincial workforce. Provinces find these candidates by either selecting them from the federal Express Entry application pool or accepting applications directly from candidates.

The PNP exists because immigration is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial governments. Each year, the federal government allocates a specific number of nominations to each province, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, which do not have PNPs. By the end of 2023, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to admit 105,550 new permanent residents through the PNP. 

The Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) invitations and draws for Canadian provinces from August 26 to September 1, 2023:

Ontario

On August 30, Ontario’s Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited 772 candidates through the Masters Graduate stream. The draw was open to candidates without specifying a particular occupation, and a minimum score of 44 was required. Eligibility criteria include having an Ontario master’s degree, a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7, sufficient settlement funds, and having lived in Ontario for at least one of the past two years.

British Columbia

On August 29, British Columbia held its weekly draw and invited over 150 candidates from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams. The largest draw was for tech occupations, with 102 candidates invited, requiring a minimum score of 88. Three other draws included 28 early childhood educators and assistants, 20 healthcare professionals, and a few invitations for other priority occupations, with a minimum score of 60.

Alberta

Alberta’s Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) held a draw on August 24, inviting 168 candidates through the Family connection and primary occupation in demand stream. These candidates also belong to the Express Entry system and needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 302. Eligible candidates must have an immediate family member residing in Alberta, such as a parent, child, or sibling.

Manitoba

On August 30, Manitoba conducted its first region-specific draw of the year, inviting 288 candidates in the Skilled Worker stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). Eligibility criteria included being currently employed in Manitoba, planning to live in a community outside of Winnipeg, and 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. These invitations were extended to individuals working in sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, food processing, and construction. Since September 2022, PEI has invited a total of 2602 candidates, with the majority of invitations (97%) issued in the Labour and Express Entry stream.

These provincial draws and invitations are part of Canada’s efforts to select economic immigration candidates who are likely to integrate successfully into the provincial workforce through the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP). The PNP allows provinces to play a role in immigration, and the federal government allocates a specific number of nominations to each province, except Quebec and Nunavut, each year.