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Provincial Nominee Programs

Provincial Nominee Programs

Canadian provinces and territories have their own immigration programs, which often have lower requirements than the federal ones.

Each Canadian province and two territories have their own unique Provincial Nominee Programs. These programs allow provinces and territories to invite candidates who want to immigrate to Canada and are interested in settlement in a particular region.

The following provincial immigration programs exist:

Immigration to Alberta Province description Draws history
Immigration to British Columbia Province description Draws history
Immigration to Quebec Province description Draws history
Immigration to Manitoba Province description Draws history
Immigration to Nova Scotia Province description Draws history
Immigration to New Brunswick Province description -
Immigration to Newfoundland and Labrador Province description -
Immigration to Ontario Province description Draws history
Immigration to Prince Edward Island Province description Draws history
Immigration to Saskatchewan Province description Draws history
Immigration to the Northwest Territoriesи Territory description -
Immigration to Yukon Territory description -

The Canadian territory of Nunavut does not have an immigration program.

The Atlantic provinces of Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) also have a common program called the Atlantic Immigration Program. It has relatively low requirements and is for candidates who want to live and work in one of the Atlantic regions.

Each provincial program is tailored to the specific needs of the province/territory to invite candidates who can live and work in the region.

Provincial immigration programs are further divided into so-called streams — destinations for certain categories of immigrants. There are many such streams, so practically every candidate can find a suitable option.

Why use provincial programs to immigrate to Canada

Consider a situation where an applicant meets the requirements of one of the three federal immigration programs. If they register for Express Entry, they will likely not get the required number of points to obtain a Canadian permanent residency.

But if a candidate indicates on their application that they are interested in living in a province, such as Ontario, they may receive a so-called provincial nomination which gives 600 extra points in the Express Entry system. This means there is almost a full guarantee of getting a PR.

For convenience, each provincial program contains a minimum of one immigration stream through Express Entry.

So, what does one have to do to get a nomination? The main criterion is to have an in-demand profession, which is needed nowadays in the province.

Simplified requirements for candidates

Usually, provisional programs have additional streams, where applications are accepted not through Express Entry, but on paper or through another system. In this case, there may be fewer requirements to applicants: the required level of English is reduced, age becomes less important, you can show less money in the account, etc.

Help with choosing an immigration program and stream

Officially, there are now more than 100 immigration programs in Canada with different requirements for applicants. If you can't decide which option is right for you, a regulated immigration consultant will help you.

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  • #Provincial Nominee Programs
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  • #immigration to Alberta
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