Three Canadian provinces have issued invitations to candidates to apply for provincial immigration programs.
Ontario and British Columbia have done this through their respective Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). The PNP was introduced in 1998 to help spread the benefits of immigration to parts of Canada that historically did not attract many newcomers.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shares the responsibility for immigration with Canada’s provincial governments. Through the PNP, IRCC allocates a specific number of nominations to each participating province and territory and the provinces then select economic immigrant candidates who are most likely to successfully integrate into the Canadian economy.
Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration
Being nominated by a province does not grant a candidate permanent resident status. The nomination means the candidate has a stronger application when submitting their final permanent residence application to IRCC. In fact, Express Entry candidates who also receive a provincial nomination get an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, making it almost certain that they will get an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw.
Quebec does not have a PNP because it has a separate agreement with the federal government that gives it autonomy over the selection of all its economic immigrant candidates. It also sets its own tier plan for the number of newcomers it admits each year.
Provincial Immigration Results September 14-20
Ontario
On September 17, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued invitations to candidates in the Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams.
Of these, 1,249 invitations were issued to postgraduate candidates with 53 marks or above, and 194 invitations were issued to PhD postgraduate candidates with 45 marks or above.
The province held another draw for the OINP’s Express Entry Human Capital Priority stream on September 19. This was a targeted draw for 1,424 candidates in “other priority occupations.”
They needed a CRS score between 505-528 to be accepted for consideration.
british columbia
The British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (BC PNP) also held a draw on September 17, inviting over 163 candidates.
The biggest draw was BC PNP skilled workers, international graduates and general and selected candidates from the entry-level and semi-skilled streams. Skilled workers and international graduate candidates (both streams including those eligible for Express Entry BC) had a minimum score requirement of 128.
A minimum of 110 marks was required for the entry-level and semi-skilled working class.
Three other draws for skilled workers and international graduates for candidates in specific occupations:
- 43 candidates in child care occupations with at least 83 marks
- 29 candidates in construction trades with at least 89 marks
- 29 candidates in healthcare professions with at least 99 marks
Quebec
Quebec has published the results of the provincial selection draw for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, which took place on September 5. Quebec usually publishes the results of selection draws retrospectively.
The province invited 1,417 people to apply for the permanent selection. They needed a minimum of 575 points.
Additionally, all candidates were required to demonstrate Level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de competence en français (Quebec’s scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or its equivalent.
Candidates may also be considered if they have received a job offer outside the area of the Montréal Communardo Métropolitain.
Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration