
Under a shared jurisdiction between Ottawa and the provinces, Canada operates a two-tiered immigration system, offering programs for skilled workers, at both federal and provincial levels.
Through a network of Nominee Programs (PNP), almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada with the specific skills required by their local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities. This is an important component of all provincial programs.
Many provinces also run their own categories under the Canada Express Entry System. As a result, the provinces have an increasing role in the selection of economic immigrants.
Choose a province to learn more about Provincial Nominee Programs
In some instances, candidates who do not qualify under one of the federal programs may qualify for admission to Canada under a PNP. Some candidates may also qualify for a temporary work permit in the interim, allowing for early entry to Canada for the applicant and their accompanying dependants.
Many of the large provincial programs face problems with processing delays. Canada attracts considerable interest from potential new immigrants, far surpassing the processing capacity of immigration programs.
The Canada Express Entry system has successfully tackled processing delays, while many of the provinces are now choosing to open and close their popular streams periodically throughout the year to avoid large backlogs.
The importance of sponsoring employers
Under some provincial programs, candidates are nominated by a prospective employer and, once approved by the province, are subject to an expedited process. In the initial stages, applicants can receive temporary, renewable work permits to enter Canada while they are being processed for permanent residence.
The skilled worker-based provincial programs, with the exception of Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, generally require an employer to sponsor the applicant for admission to Canada. Without a government-approved employer sponsorship, the application will either not be approved, or will be routinely passed over in favour of applications with an employer sponsored approval.
Sponsoring employers under most provincial programs must demonstrate sufficient efforts to hire local Canadians and offer competitive terms and conditions of employment that are relevant to a particular occupation. Between provinces, variations exist in the terms and conditions of employment to qualify to sponsor a foreign worker.
To qualify as a sponsored employee, the position being filled must generally conform to a National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill type 0 or level A, B; or alternatively, must meet the terms of a particular pilot project designed for a specific critical skill shortage identified by the province.
Pilot programs within the provinces are designed for low skilled workers and are limited in scope. Most of the provinces have variations of pilot projects for low skilled occupations.
Latest Provincial Immigration News
Le 5 mars 2019 - L'Ontario a désigné à l’immigration permanente 6 850 candidats en 2018, représentant 13 571 nouveaux...
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March 1, 2017 - The Manitoba Nominee Program issued more than 320 Invitations to Apply in the most recent draw made...
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Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil sees a strong 2017 for new skilled immigrants in the province. With 1,350 spots for...
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February 13, 2017 - Small border towns like Emerson, Manitoba, look set to come into the spotlight increasingly over the coming...
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February 3, 2017 - Nova Scotia has seen a significant increase in immigration in recent years, and Premier Stephen McNeil says...
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February 3, 2017 - Atlantic Canada is doing an excellent job of attracting new immigrants – but it is struggling to...
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January 30, 2017 - Canada’s federal government has published details of the new Atlantic Immigration Pilot, being operated in partnership with...
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January 24, 2017 - The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has launched a new online application process for its French-Speaking...
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January 23, 2017 - With uncertainty surrounding the future of the US EB-5 under Donald Trump, Quebec is about to...
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January 20, 2017 - Five times the number of people entered Quebec from the U.S. illegally in 2016 compared to...
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January 17, 2017 - The Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion has introduced some minor application fee increases for...
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January 16, 2017 - Ontario has reassured candidates that applications received for its Provincial Nominee Program in 2016 will count...
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