How Provincial Nominee Programs Work with Express Entry in Canada?

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is one of Canada's most popular avenues to permanent residency. Each Canadian province and territory (excluding Quebec) has its own PNP, which is tailored to meet local labor market needs. Many PNPs are tied to the federal Express Entry system, which offers candidates a faster path to permanent residency.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is Canada's online system for managing applications to three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Candidates who match the eligibility criteria are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which considers factors such as age, education, work experience, and language competence. Those with the best marks are invited to apply for permanent residency.

How PNP and Express Entry Work Together

Many Canadian provinces use the Express Entry method to select applicants for their PNP streams, which are known as "enhanced PNP streams."If a candidate is nominated using an improved stream, they will automatically receive 600 more CRS points. This effectively ensures that they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next Express Entry draw, as their CRS score will be greatly improved. To get a better understanding of how this can impact your overall score, you can use a CRS points calculator to see how the additional points affect your chances of receiving an ITA.

Steps to Apply Through a PNP Express Entry Stream

Create an Express Entry profile

Ensure you meet the qualifying requirements for one of the federal immigration programs.

Express interest in specific provinces

You can specify which provinces you are interested in, or you can wait for a province to notify you of your interest.

Receive a provincial nomination

If you are chosen by a province, you will be given a nomination certificate and an additional 600 CRS points.

Apply for permanent residency

After getting your ITA, submit your full application for permanent residency.

Conclusion

Combining PNP with Express Entry provides a speedier and more efficient road to permanent residency in Canada. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination have a much higher probability of successfully coming to Canada.