Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are still attracting professionals from all over the world to apply for Canada permanent residence, as five provinces sent invitations to potential applicants in the first week of April. Under these initiatives, provinces can identify applicants for Canadian permanent residence who fit their unique economic and labour market demands.
Leading the way is Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, which invited 883 candidates through the Master’s Graduate and PhD Candidate streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This is a significant boost to the province’s economy, as the selected candidates will be able to contribute their skills and expertise to various industries in Ontario.
Provincial immigration results on April 1-7
With a minimum cut-off score of 52 and above, 772 students were invited to the Master’s Graduate stream. With a cut-off score of 48, 131 students were invited to the PhD Graduate track. The fact that this most recent draw is the first for PhD applicants in 2023 demonstrates the province’s dedication to attracting highly qualified people across a range of professions.
The PNP programmes are essential to Canada’s immigration system because they allow the provinces to identify and nominate people who have the knowledge and abilities required to fill gaps in the labour market and stimulate economic growth. The initiatives give people from all around the world the chance to significantly improve the nation’s economy and society.
On the west coast of Canada, British Columbia invited 175 candidates through its PNP on April 4. These applicants were in the skilled worker streams and required minimum Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) scores of 103, 103 for international graduates, and 85 for entry-level and semi-skilled applicants. The province also held two targeted draws for healthcare professionals as well as early childhood educators and assistants.
In the Quebec Regular Skilled Workers Program, 619 people were admitted by Québec, which has a special agreement with the federal government that allows it to select any economic immigrants who desire to reside in the province. Candidates needed a score of at least 578 and a valid job offer from outside the Montréal Metropolitan Community.
On April 4, New Brunswick released the results of the March PNP draw. With the NB Employment Connection, NB Student Connection, and NB Occupations-In-Demand Connection, a total of 186 applicants were encouraged to apply.
On March 30, the western Canadian province of Alberta issued invitations to 150 applicants through the Express Entry portion of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). Candidates required a family connection and to hold a primary occupation in demand, in addition to meeting the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off score of 372.
PNPs allow provincial governments to select economic immigration candidates who are the most likely to integrate easily into the provincial economy and contribute to the labour force. Provinces are allocated a specific number of invitations through which they can target newcomers. For 2023, the immigration levels plan has a target of admitting over 105,000 new permanent residents to Canada through the PNP.
New Brunswick and Ontario’s recent investments emphasize the value of talented immigrants to Canada’s economic development. In order to promote double the number of skilled immigrants, Ontario has announced that it will invest an additional $25 million over the course of three years. Following a meeting of the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI), where the immigration ministers adopted a multi-year PNP programme presented by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, New Brunswick announced a 67% increase in their PNP allocation for 2023. (IRCC).
Provincial immigration policies in Canada continue to draw applicants from all over the world, addressing labour shortages and boosting the economy of the nation. For more information on Canada immigration,