Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba have invited candidates in the first Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) draws of 2024.
Through the PNP, provincial governments can review and select economic immigrant candidates they feel are the best fit for the local labour force and economy, meaning it will be easier for them to become economically established within the province. This often leads to higher retention rates of newcomers within the province.
Within each province’s PNP, there are streams that target candidates with specific occupations or specialties. For example, Ontario recently expanded the eligibility criteria under the International Graduate Stream to include applicants who have completed a one-year program at a designated educational institution in the province.
Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration
Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 shows that the country plans to accept 110,000 new permanent residents through the PNP in 2024. This is because immigration is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial governments. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allocates a number of nominations to provinces each year based on factors such as existing population, infrastructure, labour force needs, and available settlement services.
All provinces and territories in Canada have PNP programs and streams, except for Quebec and Nunavut. Quebec has a separate agreement with the federal government.
Provincial Immigration Results January 1-12
Ontario
Ontario held two Ontario Immigrant Nomination Program draws this week. On January 9, the province held two targeted draws for candidates in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream. One of the draws targeted 821 candidates with a minimum score of 40 or above in healthcare and technical occupations.
In another draw, 630 candidates were invited to apply for skilled trade occupations. They needed a minimum score of 33 or above.
Another draw was held on January 11 and invited 2,552 candidates from the Express Entry Skilled Trades stream. Candidates in this stream already have applications in the federal Express Entry application pool and need a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 350-424.
British Columbia
On January 10, British Columbia invited over 372 candidates across three streams of the BC PNP.
In total, five draws were held. The biggest draw was a general draw in which 110 candidates from the skilled workers, international graduates and entry-level and semi-skilled workers streams were invited. Skilled workers and international graduates were required to score a minimum of 120 marks and entry-level and semi-skilled workers were required to score at least 100 marks.
The remaining four draws were targeted at skilled worker and international graduate candidates in specific occupations, including 74 candidates in construction occupations with a minimum score of 75.
The remaining three draws required all candidates to achieve a minimum of 60 points to be considered:
- 113 candidates in child care occupations
- 75 candidates in healthcare professions
- lower than candidates in veterinary care occupations
Manitoba
Manitoba invited 431 candidates from three streams in four separate Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program (MPNP) draws on January 11.
Two draws were for skilled workers in Manitoba. In one, all eligible profiles were considered and 166 candidates with a minimum score of 607 were invited.
The second application was for 168 skilled workers from Manitoba who could prove they have a close relative in Manitoba who is either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and has been living in the province for at least one year.
Candidates were required to score a minimum of 607 marks to be included in this draw.
The remaining two draws invited 58 candidates from the International Education stream and 31 Skilled Worker foreign candidates with a minimum score of 639.
Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration