How does the Provincial Nominee Program work?

The PNP is designed to spread the benefits of immigration throughout Canada.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) started in 1998 as a way for the federal and provincial governments to spread the benefits of immigration throughout Canada. Provinces can hand-pick candidates whom they feel will support their economic growth and recommend that Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offer them permanent resident status.

There are over 80 PNP streams aimed at attracting workers, graduates, and entrepreneurs. Each province and territory, except for Nunavut and Quebec (which operates its own economic-class programs), offers the PNP. Each program is based on the different labour force needs of the province.

Why does Canada need provincial nomination?

Immigration in Canada is the shared responsibility of the federal and provincial governments. However, throughout most of Canada’s history, the provinces did not have much influence. This resulted in newcomers to Canada mostly settling in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.

The benefits of immigration were lacking in rural Canada, the prairie provinces, and Atlantic Canada. The PNP was introduced to give jurisdictions across Canada a tool to attract and retain more newcomers. It has proven to be successful and is Canada’s leading economic class pathway in 2022 and 2023.