The Canadian Immigration System: Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)

Recall that the Topic of the Week is The Canadian Immigration System. So far, I have covered the Point System, and Permanent Residence. (If you have any questions on these, you can still pose them in the comments, on twitter, via email, or on youtube.) Today, I’m going to talk about the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

The Provincial Nominee Program is a fairly recent development in Canadian Immigration, and as the story from PEI earlier this week shows there are still some issues that need to be worked out in order to ensure that these programs are administered in a fair and just manner.

As you may be aware, Canada is comprised of ten provinces and three territories. Each of the provinces, aside from Quebec which has a skilled worker program that operates parallel to the federal one, can have a Provincial Nominee Program. However, only certain provinces/territories are currently participating in the Program. (Check here for the most updated list of them: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/provincial/index.asp) These programs help the provinces to attract immigrants who meet their identified needs by meeting their special requirements. Furthermore, the PNPs act as fast-tracking for many immigrants by bringing them to Canada and granting them Permanent Residence (PR) sooner.

A COUPLE OF GENERAL FACTS ABOUT PROVINCIAL NOMINEES:

- They are “economic immigrants” and are identified on the basis of job skills and the ability to contribute to the province/territory’s economy.

- They are nominated for this program by the Province/Territory. This needs they need to apply to the province first.

- As of July 1, 2012 most provincial/territorial nominees in “semi- or low-skilled professions” will have to show language skills in either of the two official languages of Canada.

- Once you have a Provincial Nomination you can apply to the CIC for permanent Residence right away. This is how PNP can act as fast-tracking towards PR.

- If you can’t get into Canada through the regular federal streams (ie you do not obtain at least 67 points in the points system) the Provincial Nominee Program might be an alternate way for you to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. This is because PNP does not judge you based on the same criteria as the CIC. However, you do still have to pass CIC screening to get PR… but if you’re on the threshold of those 67 federal points, PNP might give you that extra boost you need.

- Provincial nominees still need to get a medical and a police check. Canada does not normally accept immigrants with serious medical conditions or criminal records. You may also have to undergo language testing. These checks are done at your own expense, so prepare for those costs.

- The process for PNP is different in every participating province or territory, so make sure you are looking at the right province’s information when applying. You can’t expect to apply in Saskatchewan using Alberta’s PNP procedure.

Sources: www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/provincial/index.asp