Prince Edward Island immigration issued the most invitations since February to skilled workers and entrepreneurs in its latest Expression of Interest draw.

The October 17 draw was the province’s 10^th of 2019 and saw 158 candidates invited to apply.

Of the total, 146 invites went to Labour Impact/Express Entry candidates.

The remaining 12 invites went to Business Impact candidates, with a points threshold of 122.

PEI launched its Expression of Interest system at the start of 2018 and has made monthly draws ever since.

Anticipated 2019 Prince Edward Island Expression of Interest Draw Dates

November 21
December 19

In the 10 draws so far in 2019, PEI has invited 1,345 candidates, including 1,177 through the Labour Impact/Express Entry streams and 168 through the Business Impact stream.

PEI PNP Immigration Draws 2019

PEI issued a total of 1,446 invites during 2018, the first year it operated an Expression of Interest system.

Of these, 1,240 went to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, with the remaining 206 going to Business Impact candidates.

The largest draw took place on October 18, 2018, when 297 candidates were invited.

Prince Edward Island Express Entry Stream

PEI’s Express Entry category operates by considering candidates already in the federal Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination.

Such a nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and effectively guarantees an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian immigration.

The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without.

Prince Edward Island Labour Impact Category

1) Skilled Worker Stream

This employer-driven stream allows skilled workers with an employment offer in PEI to be nominated for Canadian Permanent residence if they meet the following criteria:

• A full-time employment offer from a Prince Edward Island business in an occupation classified as skill level “0”, “A” or “B” of the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
• Completion of post-secondary education, with a minimum of 14 years of formal education;
• Between 21 and 55 years of age;
• At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years;
• Sufficient proficiency in English or French to occupy the employment offered;
• Sufficient settlement funds;
• Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.

2) Critical Worker Stream

This category is designed to resolve labour shortages and is open to foreign workers already in PEI with employment in specific critical demand occupations. The primary criteria for nomination are:

• A full-time offer of employment from a Prince Edward Island business in one of the following occupations:
  • Truck driver;
  • Customer service representative;
  • Labourer;
  • Food & beverage server;
  • Housekeeping attendant.
• 6 months of work experience with the Prince Edward Island business offering employment;
• Current valid Canadian work permit;
• High school diploma and minimum of 12 years of formal education;
• Between 21 and 55 years of age;
• At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years;
• Demonstrate basic proficiency in English or French language;
• Sufficient settlement funds;
• Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.

Prince Edward Island Business Impact Category

Work Permit Stream

Individuals applying under the P.E.I. Work Permit Stream must obtain a Canadian work permit and work for a P.E.I. business for a certain amount of time as designated in a Performance Agreement.

After the Performance Agreement is fulfilled, the applicant must make a minimum $150,000 investment in the business and commit to managing the business on a daily basis from within P.E.I.

Previously, Prince Edward Island operated direct permanent residence business streams, but these were closed in September 2018 over immigration fraud concerns.