What is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) allows many Provinces and territories in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, to nominate individuals with certain skills, education, and work experience to immigrate to Canada. In order to improve the efficiency of immigration application processes, many provinces and territories have connected their own PNP programs with Express Entry since January 1, 2015. Each province and territory has their own criteria for their PNP programs; this allows provincial governments to have better control of the services and employment sectors in their region. In this blog, you will learn about how to immigrate to Canada as a provincial nominee through Express Entry.
Applying For a PNP through Express Entry
If you want to apply for a PNP through the Express Entry, you have two options to do so.
The first option is that you may contact the province or territory and apply for a nomination under their Express Entry stream. If the province or territory agrees to nominate you, you can create or update (if you already have the profile) an Express Entry profile. The next step is to show you have been nominated on your profile. Please note, you will get a nomination electronically through your account.
Alternatively, you can create your Express Entry account and list the provinces or territories you are interested in. These provinces may contact you and ask you to submit a Provincial Nomination Program application so that they can nominate you. Once you are nominated by the province or territory, you will receive and accept the offer on your account. Following that, you can then apply to the province’s or the territory’s Express Entry stream. If you have already been nominated by your province or territory, you must show this in your Express Entry profile.
Please note, regardless of the route you choose to apply, you will need an Express Entry profile. As a result, you will be required to create an Express Entry profile at the very beginning of your application process.
Get the Nomination
As previously mentioned, if a province or a territory agrees to nominate you, you must confirm your nomination electronically.
After you confirm the nomination, you must contact the province or territory directly and give them your Express Entry profile number and Job Seeker Validation Code which will be used to confirm your nomination with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You will then be asked to either accept or reject the nomination in your online account.
If you accept the nomination, the system will send you a letter in your account that confirms your nomination. Your profile will be placed into the Express Entry pool, and you will be awarded 600 additional points that will help you get an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
If you reject or ignore the nomination, you will then lose your eligibility for the PNP unless another province nominates you. Furthermore, you must register for Job Bank within 30 calendar days from when you created your profile. Once you are done with the registration, you will be placed in the Express Entry pool and may be invited to apply under any eligible program.
If you are already in the Express Entry pool, and you wish to be considered for the PNP, there are two ways you can get nominated.
1. Apply to the province or territory directly
This can be done by visiting a province or territory’s website to find out their criteria for their PNP Express Entry stream. If you meet their requirements, you can submit an application to one of their Express Entry streams.
2. A province or territory finds your profile and contacts you through your account
In some cases, provinces and territories can actually search profiles in the Express Entry to find potential nominees. They might find you if you declared your interest in them when completing your profile, or if you said you were interested in “all provinces and territories.” The province or territory will then send a notification of interest letter, which tells you to contact the province or territory to discuss your options, to your account. If you would like to be nominated by the province or territory that sent you the notification of interest letter, you must contact them directly and apply to their PNP Express Entry stream. If the province or territory approves your application, you will get a message in your account. Once again, you will have the option to accept or reject the nomination.
Get Ready to Apply for Permanent Residence
After you are nominated by the province or territory, you can then start applying for your permanent residence. Once you start your application for permanent residence, you will have 60 days to complete and submit your application. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada will assess your application based on Canadian immigration law. During the process of your permanent residence application, you will mostly likely be asked to provide your medical exam record and police background check (certificate). All immigrants are obligated to provide those checks regardless of the place they intend to live in Canada.
Contact Akrami and Associates
Sometimes, the Provincial Nominee Program can be confusing, and this is why it is important to ask any questions you may have. By talking to immigration professionals about your concerns, this will ease your worries and assist with the application process. Many immigration applications are difficult to pursue on your own, and it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to apply. Akrami & Associates work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients obtain permanent residency through the Provincial Nomination Program. Please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advice.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!