Express Entry Category-Based Selection Vs. Accepting a Provincial Nomination. One of the most well-known schemes for economic immigration in Canada is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), under which the country expects to welcome 117,500 immigrants annually by the end of 2025. Express Entry applicants will be accepted into many PNP programs.
Express Entry has undergone some major changes this year. On May 31, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced six new attribute-based Express Entry categories.
These categories mean that candidates who meet the criteria for one of the following six categories have another opportunity to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in an Express Entry draw:
- Healthcare
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport
- Agriculture and agri-food
- Strong French language abilities
Nevertheless, a qualified Express Entry applicant may be awarded an ITA in a category-based selection draw, an all-program draw, or a draw dedicated to a given program. Should they accept it if the same candidate is also nominated by a province under the PNP?
How does the PNP work?
With the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, every province and territory in Canada has its own PNP. Through these programs, the federal government distributes nominations that a provincial government can utilize to choose economic immigration candidates who have the best chance of integrating into the province’s labor or economy. This is possible because the federal and provincial governments share responsibility for immigration.
After accepting a nomination, a candidate can submit a nomination application directly to a province. If their application is accepted, it will support the IRCC’s request for permanent resident status.
A candidate may be chosen from the Express Entry applicant pool (referred to as a “enhanced nomination”) or may submit a direct nomination request to a province government (referred to as a “base nomination”).
A PNP applicant will gain 600 more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points through enhanced nomination, all but ensuring their selection in the future Express Entry draw.
Additionally, some PNP streams are comparable to the brand-new category-based Express Entry draws. For instance, British Columbia nominates individuals for jobs in healthcare every week and holds drawings for IT jobs frequently. Other provinces also have specialized streams that cater to applicants who have previous work experience or who hold a job in a field with a high demand in their province.
Why take a PNP nomination if I am eligible for category-based selection?
Even if you are in the Express Entry pool and work in one of the new categories, the 600 CRS points from a PNP nomination may still be advantageous.
For the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and PNP applicants with Express Entry profiles, IRCC has not declared that it will stop holding all-program or even program-specific draws. In fact, the majority of applicants have gotten invites in all-program draws since the implementation of category-based selection in May.
It is advantageous to obtain a CRS score that is as high as possible because it is the primary deciding factor in an all-program draw.
This is still accurate for Express Entry’s category-based selection. The advantage of exceeding the minimum score outweighs the fact that these scores are often a little lower than an all-program draw.
Is there a reason not to accept a provincial nomination?
It might not be in the best interest of candidates who already have a very high CRS score to accept a provincial nomination.
Even if you receive an upgraded nomination, this may be especially true because the PNP demands a different procedure from Express Entry.
If you are given an Express Entry ITA that is not associated with the PNP, you just need to submit one application and pay one fee to IRCC in order to be granted permanent residency. The typical processing time for applications is six months or less.
You must first submit an application and all necessary fees to the province that is nominating you if you obtain an upgraded nomination. The processing norm for the province also applies to you. Once your application is accepted, you must send it to IRCC along with the required cost and adhere to the six-month processing requirement.
As a result, receiving an upgraded nomination may prolong your immigration process as you wait for a nomination decision. Depending on the province that nominates you, the two applications may cost more to submit. Despite some provinces not charging one, the majority do. Express Entry Category-Based Selection Vs Accepting a Provincial Nomination.
Examples of PNP application fees
One jurisdiction that doesn’t charge PNP candidates is Nova Scotia. The province provides a number of streams that specifically target candidates with work history in high-demand professions, particularly in the healthcare industry, like the Labour Market Priorities Stream for doctors.
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), the most well-liked province for immigrants, does charge applicants, and the fee varies for each program. For instance, there is a $1,500 fee for the Employer Job Offer: International Student, Masters Graduate, and PhD Graduate streams.
For the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker and In-Demand Skills streams, the application fee is as follows:
- $1,500 if the job offer is outside of the Greater Toronto Area
- $2,000 if the job offer is within the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions)
Application fees for British Columbia also vary by program. They start as low as $1,475 for skills immigration applications and go as high as $3,500 for entrepreneur or strategic project streams. Alberta has a fee of $500 for all online applications.
The benefit depends on your situation
The decision of whether to submit an application or accept a provincial nomination ultimately comes down to the candidate’s situation. A PNP nomination can increase your chances of getting an ITA in an Express Entry draw, even a category-based lottery, and can give you a CRS score that is extremely competitive. However, it could be wiser to hold off until the IRCC provides an ITA if your CRS score is already high and time or money are factor.
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