Canada PNP fact sheet for September 2021

The following is an overview of the most recent Provincial Nominee Program changes from throughout Canada

In September, Canada invited over 6500 candidates to submit for a provincial nomination. Except for Quebec and Nunavut, almost every province and territory in Canada has its own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). With their immigration programs, provincial governments may choose the best candidates to satisfy their local labour market requirements and control the regional settling of the immigrant population within their authority.

Each province has its own standards for determining whether foreign employees are eligible for Canadian permanent residency under its own PNP.

While the federal government supervises the major immigration channels, immigration numbers, and other elements of permanent residence and citizenship rules, Canada’s provinces play an essential role in choosing immigrants through the PNP. The PNP has become the second most significant pathway to permanent residence in Canada since its introduction in 1998. PNPs alone result in more than 80,000 immigrants being accepted as permanent residents each year between now and 2023.

Highlights of the PNP-Focused Express Entry for September month

Most of the participating provinces and territories have at least one PNP stream linked to the Federal Express Entry system, Canada’s primary source of meeting the federal and provincial economic demands.

So far this year, IRCC has held PNP–specific Express Entry draws every two weeks on average. In September, the IRCC held three Express Entry draws for PNP applicants, granting 635 ITAs on September 1st, 521 on September 15th, and 761 on September 29th. As a result, the number of PNP Express Entry invitations given in the recent month is somewhat more significant than in prior months.

IRCC has only held draws under the PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) categories since the beginning of 2021. So far this year, Alberta has released 18 PNP-specific draws, wherein the number of invites to apply via Express Entry has nearly quadrupled compared to last year.

 Ontario

Last month, the government staged five draws under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). Ontario conducted a round of invites for the Master’s Graduate and Ph.D. Graduate programs on September 14th, 2021. Nearly 691 overseas student graduates were asked to seek a provincial nomination by the province.

More precisely, Ontario invited 627 applicants with Expressions of Interest (EOI) scores of 35 or above to apply under the Master’s Graduate program. In addition, 64 applicants with EOI scores of 16 or above in the Ph.D. Graduate tracks were invited.

On September 21st, additional rounds of invitations were sent, and 995 applicants were asked to seek a provincial nomination. Sixty-six of these invitations were issued to immigration candidates who had enrolled for the Regional Immigration Pilot.

On September 22nd, Ontario held another in-demand skills stream draw with its new intake method, wherein the province welcomed 65 immigration applicants. Candidates must have employment offers in the targeted industries.

In all, the government of Ontario invited 1,751 immigrant candidates to file for a provincial nomination in September, a substantial increase from the previous month’s invitation of 875.

 Alberta

In September, the Alberta province hosted three significant invitation rounds under the AINP (Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program). On September 7th, the AINP held its largest draw to date, inviting 500 applicants with CRS scores of at least 300. On September 14th and September 21st, there were two more AINP draws, with 835 immigration applicants invited to seek a provincial candidacy. With these three draws, the total number of invites granted by the AINP in September has risen to 1,335.

Manitoba

Last month, the province of Manitoba staged two draws across three streams: Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas. The draws took place on September 2nd and September 23rd, and a total of 1,252 Letters of Advice to Apply were given, with 236 of them going to candidates who claimed a valid Express Entry profile.

British Columbia

Last month, British Columbia held six draws, wherein nearly 994 candidates were invited under the Express Entry British Columbia and Skills Immigration streams. They need to apply for a provincial nomination. It will thus closely match the number of invitations issued each month since the beginning of the year.

Saskatchewan

On September 8th and September 27th, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) hosted invitation rounds through the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand subcategories of the International Skilled Worker Category. Last month, the government sent out 919 invitations to seek a provincial nomination.

On September 2nd, Saskatchewan also held its second Entrepreneur stream draw of the year, granting 41 invitations with a minimum score of 110. The next round of invites for the Entrepreneur stream is scheduled for November 4th, 2021.

Prince Edward Island

On September 16th, Prince Edward Island performed a pre-scheduled draw and awarded a total of 143 invitations to immigration applicants. Nearly 129 candidates under the Express Entry and Labour Impact category were invited to this draw. The remaining nine invites were distributed under the Business Impact category, wherein the applicants have scored at least 72 points.

Nova Scotia

In September, Nova Scotia held new business immigration draws, granting a total of 30 invites across two streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). The two draws took place on September 13th. With a minimum score of 120 points, one round resulted in 28 invites in the Entrepreneur stream. In addition, two candidates from the International Graduate Entrepreneur stream, with a minimum score of 57 points, were invited.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

PNPs (Provincial Nominee Programs) allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate people for permanent residency. These are classified into two types: basic and enhanced. As the provinces administer them, base nomination streams operate independently of the Express Entry system. Consequently, these nominations are subject to the processing criteria of the PNP stream in question.

In this case, applicants are required to go through a two-step process to get a successful base nomination for permanent residency. Candidates must first decide if they fit the criteria for a PNP stream, then apply and, if successful, obtain a nomination certificate. They will be able to seek permanent resident status with the federal government once they receive this certificate.

In contrast, enhanced nomination streams are linked to the Express Entry system. They enable provincial immigration officers to explore the Express Entry candidate pool for people who meet particular requirements. These individuals are then invited to seek a provincial nomination by the provinces.

The Express Entry system handles the applicant pool for Canada’s three major federal-level economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates that receive a provincial nomination through an upgraded provincial stream receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This almost ensures them an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a later Express Entry draw.