Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Program Provinces / IRCC Canada Current to: 2025 Verified: 2025-05

Overview

The PNP operates alongside the federal immigration system. Each participating province and territory designs its own streams and criteria within the framework set by federal–provincial agreements and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR r.87). Quebec operates the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) and related streams under a separate accord — Quebec nominees are not part of the standard PNP.

There are two routes to permanent residence through the PNP:

• Base streams (non-Express Entry) — the nominee applies for a federal permanent residence visa directly outside Express Entry; processing times are longer (typically 18–24 months)
• Enhanced streams (Express Entry-linked) — the nominee enters the Express Entry pool and, upon receiving a nomination, gains 600 additional CRS points, effectively guaranteeing an ITA; IRCC's six-month service standard applies

Eligibility

PNP eligibility requirements are set by each province or territory and vary significantly by stream. Common stream categories include:

• Skilled worker streams — require a job offer from a provincial employer, work experience in an in-demand occupation, and sometimes a connection to the province (prior work, study, or family)
• International graduate streams — for recent graduates from a designated post-secondary institution in the province; typically require a job offer
• Entrepreneur and investor streams — require a minimum net worth, a business plan, and in some cases active management of a provincial business for a qualifying period before nomination
• Rural and northern streams — target workers willing to settle in smaller communities; criteria vary by program (e.g., RNIP, AIPP)

Federal requirements also apply. The nominee must still meet IRCC's admissibility standards and satisfy the definition of a provincial nominee under IRPR r.87: the nominee must intend to reside in the nominating province and must not be inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Selection criteria

Selection criteria differ by province, territory, and stream. Most streams score candidates on some combination of:

• Job offer in the province (occupation type, NOC category, duration)
• Work experience (Canadian and/or foreign, in-demand occupations)
• Education and credential recognition
• Language proficiency (English and/or French)
• Connection to the province (prior work, study, family)
• Adaptability and settlement funds

For Express Entry–linked streams, the province selects from the federal Express Entry pool (with or without a Notification of Interest) or runs its own separate registration of interest system. The nominee's existing CRS score is not the provincial selection criterion — provinces set their own ranking systems and thresholds.

Nomination allocations are set by IRCC in annual provincial immigration plans. Each province receives a cap on the number of nominees it may issue per year.

Application process

Base stream (non-Express Entry)

1. Apply to the provincial stream — submit a nomination application directly to the province or territory. Requirements, forms, and fees vary.
2. Receive a nomination certificate — if approved, the province issues a nomination certificate.
3. Apply to IRCC for permanent residence — submit a paper-based (IMM) application for a permanent resident visa as a provincial nominee. Include the nomination certificate, medical exams, police certificates, and supporting documents.
4. Processing — IRCC processes base PNP applications outside Express Entry; service standards are longer (typically 18–24 months).

Enhanced stream (Express Entry–linked)

1. Create an Express Entry profile — enter the federal Express Entry pool.
2. Receive a provincial Notification of Interest (NOI) or apply to an Enhanced stream — the province may send an NOI to eligible candidates in the pool, or the candidate may apply directly to the provincial Enhanced stream.
3. Receive a nomination certificate — the province issues an Enhanced nomination certificate.
4. Accept the nomination in the IRCC portal — the candidate's CRS score increases by 600 points.
5. Receive an ITA and apply for permanent residence — the candidate receives an Invitation to Apply in the next Express Entry draw and submits an application within 60 days.
6. Processing — IRCC's six-month service standard applies to Express Entry PR applications.

Related programs

• Express Entry
• Provincial nominee class — IRPR r.87
• Family class — IRPR r.116
• Permanent resident — IRPA s.21

Notes

Participating provinces and territories (as of 2025): Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and the Atlantic provinces (under the Atlantic Immigration Program). Nunavut does not have a PNP. Quebec has a separate immigration system under the Canada–Quebec Accord.

Provincial stream rules, allocation caps, and processing requirements change frequently. Each provincial immigration authority maintains its own website with current stream details.

IRCC may refuse a federal permanent residence application even after a provincial nomination is granted if the applicant is found inadmissible under IRPA s.34–s.36 or does not meet a statutory requirement. The provincial nomination certificate does not override federal inadmissibility.