Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows provinces and territories in Canada to nominate people who desire to immigrate to Canada and reside in a specific province. Nunavut in Northern Canada and Quebec are the only exceptions. The province of Quebec, on the other hand, has the ability to set its own economic immigration selection criteria.
The PNP’s major goal is to disseminate the benefits of immigration across Canada. Prior to the PNP’s inception in 1998, the majority of immigrants to Canada settled in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Since 1998, however, Canada has seen a more even distribution of immigration across the country, thanks in part to the PNP, which has helped the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador) attract more immigrants.
At least one immigration stream in each PNP is linked to the federal Express Entry system for immigration selection. ‘Enhanced nominations’ are provincial nominations issued under certain Express Entry-aligned streams. Enhanced PNP streams provide Express Entry candidates with an extra 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, effectively ensuring that they would obtain a permanent residence invitation under Express Entry. Another significant advantage is that the federal government will process their permanent residence application more quickly, usually within six months. A ‘base’ stream is another option for obtaining permanent residency under the PNP. You apply directly to a PNP stream here and the federal government will conduct your permanent residence application once you receive a provincial nomination.