Ontario invited over 1,500 skilled trades candidates and Saskatchewan issued over 1,700 invitations in two draws
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia have released results for their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) this week.
Most Canadian provinces and territories (with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination. Although provincial nomination is not in itself the same as a permanent residence, it can act as the first step towards obtaining permanent resident status for eligible candidates by maximizing your CRS score.
For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations.
Following its launch in 1998, the PNP welcomed only 400 immigrants, but due to its success, it now welcomes more than 80,000 per year. The increase in the number of PNP admissions in Canada is due to the fact that the federal and provincial governments consider it an effective tool to promote the economic development of the country.
PNP draw results September 2-8
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan invited a total of 1,703 candidates over two days on September 6 and 7, nearly doubling the number of candidates invited on the previous draw on September 1, which was the largest draw of 2022.
On September 6, Saskatchewan held targeted draws for a variety of NOC occupations in demand and through the Express Entry system. There were two draws in each category, totaling 760 candidates, due to different minimum scores. Some targeted NOC’s required minimum scores of 61 and others needed a score of 69.
The September 7 draw invited 521 candidates through Express Entry and 422 through the Occupations-In-Demand stream for a total of 943 candidates with a minimum score of 70 for both categories.
These latest draws continue Saskatchewan’s trend of inviting more candidates each week. Until July of this year, Saskatchewan held draws approximately every two months and, even pre-pandemic, totals seldom exceeded 500 candidates per draw.
Ontario
On September 7 Ontario held a draw under the Skilled Trades Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). The province invited 1,521 candidates to apply with minimum scores of 320 and above. This stream is aligned with Express Entry, meaning invited candidates receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points and an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for permanent residence at a future draw from the Express Entry pool.
British Columbia
British Columbia invited more than 369 candidates to apply for provincial nomination on September 7. BC typically holds a provincial nomination draw each week.
Most candidates, 361, were invited in a regional, targeted draw for tech occupations. In this regional draw, invitations were only issued to candidates with job offers outside Metro Vancouver Regional District. Candidates may also have been invited based on other criteria such as:
- Education – level and field of education and where it was completed
- Language skills
- Occupation
- Duration and skill level of work experience
- Wage and/or skill level of job offer
- Intent to live, work and settle in a specific region
- Strategic priorities – factors that address specific labor market needs in B.C. or support government pilot projects and initiatives
The invitations were issued to candidates in the Skilled Worker and International Graduates categories and included Express Entry candidates. The draw also included Entry Level and Semi-Skilled candidates.
The minimum SIRS score for the targeted regional draw ranged between 95 for Skilled Workers with Express Entry to 71 for Entry Level and Semi-Skilled candidates. SIRS acts much like the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) but is only used for British Columbia’s PNP.
The province also held rounds of invitations for candidates working in the following occupations:
- 8 early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 4214) with scores of at least 60 points.
- Healthcare workers with scores of at least 60 points.
Manitoba
Manitoba held its most recent PNP draw on September 8 and issued 278 invitations through the Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program.
The invitations were divided across three immigration streams:
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba issued 217 invitations with a minimum score of 616
- Skilled Workers Overseas issued 20 invitations with a minimum score of 703
- International Education Stream issued 41 invitations with no score requirement.
Out of all who were invited to apply, 79 had profiles in the Express Entry system.