Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a Canadian immigration program for people who want to reside in a province or territory as permanent residents. Each province or territory in Canada has a different provincial nominee program that is designed to meet the needs and demands of the local labor market.
Under the Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028, targets for the enhanced PNPs have been increased by almost 50%. The new target is 91,500 admissions for 2026. They welcome 92,500 in 2027 and 2028. In contrast, the federal high-skilled programs managed through the Express Entry Program will see an increase, starting at 109,000 in 2026.
The Provincial Nominee Program allows Canadian provinces and territories to select immigrants who wish to live and work in a specific province.
Each province designs its own PNP streams based on:
A successful nomination adds 600 CRS points (for Express Entry–aligned streams), virtually guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR.
The PNP application process generally follows these steps:
Note: Some PNPs are aligned with Express Entry, while others operate independently.
All the provinces or territories of Canada have their PNP with different immigration streams. The following are the major Canada PNP programs:
AAIP has 4 streams for foreign workers who are living and working in Alberta, or plan to live and work here:
AAIP has 4 streams for entrepreneurs who plan to live in Alberta and buy or start a business in the province:
Applicants must meet the program's eligibility requirements and demonstrate an intention to settle in the province.
The applicants can seek the nomination in British Columbia PNP under the following streams:
These streams are meant to target skilled workers, international graduates, and professionals who have the qualifications, skills, and experience required for the PNP.
Find out about the British Columbia Provincial Immigrant Nominee Program
The Manitoba PNP invites fresh graduates, skilled workers, and business people along with their families to settle in Canada as permanent residents. They are required to have the ability and intention of settling and establishing themselves economically in Manitoba.
The PNP has the following streams:
Find out about the Manitoba Provincial Immigrant Nominee Program
The Ontario PNP nominates foreign workers, international students, and entrepreneurs who possess the required education, skills, experience, and the intention to settle in the province as permanent residents. Nominations under Ontario province's economic immigration program are open for the following streams:
Find out about the Ontario Provincial Immigrant Nominee Program
SINP allows non-Canadians to immigrate to Canada and settle permanently in the province on a PR visa. Under the PNP, the following are the categories immigration candidates can apply to:
Find out about the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program
The applicants who have the desired skills and experience are targeted by the provincial government of Prince Edward Island. Provincial Nomination Certificate is issued to the eligible candidates who can then apply for a Canadian permanent residence (PR) visa with the Federal Government of Canada.
Under the PEI PNP, nominations are issued for the following immigration categories:
Find out about the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program
New Brunswick is a unique province in Canada where people speak 2 languages. Around 30 percent of people speak French as their first language. New Brunswick has a number of cities that include - Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John. NBPNP is the province's Provincial Nominee Program, through which, immigration applicants who have the skills and experience required by the province are offered nominations. The province accepts nomination applications for the following streams:
Find out about the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program
The province consists of two distinct landmasses - Labrador, which is connected to the mainland, and the island of Newfoundland. The province has lately seen vital economic development with the help of its energy and natural resources. Through the PNP, immigration applicants from foreign countries can seek a nomination from the provincial government.
Under NLPNP, nominations are available for the following immigration categories:
Find out about the Newfound Land and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program
Nova Scotia's Provincial Nominee Program offers nominations to eligible skilled workers, international graduates, entrepreneurs, and professionals for permanent residence in the province. NSNP accepts applications for the following immigration streams:
Find out about the Nova Scotia Nominee Program
Yukon Provincial Nomination Program helps eligible employers in the province to nominate foreign workers and business people that have been trained internationally for permanent residence in the Canadian province.
The program has the following streams:
Find out about the Yukon Nominee Program
Canada eligibility criteria under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) varies by province, but most streams assess applicants based on the following factors:
Note: Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee nomination, as most PNP streams are competitive and profile-based.
Following are the simple steps to get Canada's provincial nomination program:
Most PNPs have an "enhanced" immigration stream that allows the provinces to search for skilled immigrants who can meet the needs of the labor market in the federal government's Express Entry pool. This way Express Entry program's candidates can apply for provincial nomination.
After getting a provincial nomination certificate, Express entry candidates are awarded 600 CRS points to their profile, ensuring an ITA in the next rounds of invitations.
Application processing time for a PNP depends on whether you have applied through express entry linked streams or non-express entry linked streams.
Total Canada PNP processing time includes the initial application to the province, plus the additional processing time for the PR Visa application by the IRCC.
Most provinces have reduced their processing times to months or even weeks. For Express Entry linked streams, the processing time is 6 to 8 months. Non-Express Entry applications typically take between 10 and 12 months to be processed at the federal stage.
| Provincial Nominee Program | No. of Invitations | Score Range |
| Alberta PNP | 9,459 | 42-77 |
| British Columbia PNP | <1110 | 107-150 |
| Manitoba PNP | 7,437 | 606-861 |
| Ontario PNP | 12,528 | 30-528 |
| Prince Edward Island PNP | 1609 | - |
| Quebec PNP | 2904 | 535-781 |
| Yukon PNP | 282 | - |
| Nova Scotia | 3150 | - |
| New Brunswick | 3734 | - |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3376 | - |
Invitation numbers and score ranges vary across provinces because each Provincial Nominee Program has its own selection criteria, occupation priorities, and Canada draw system.
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