In the most current Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round, candidates were invited by Ontario, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba. PNP invites from provinces.
Because the provincial and federal governments share responsibility for immigration, the PNP was created. It enables provincial governments to exercise more control over the choice of economic immigrants who choose to settle in a province that is making the nomination.
Provincial governments frequently choose the qualified individuals who are most likely to fill labor shortages locally and therefore seamlessly integrate into the local economy. In other words, the provinces designate people who have the best chance of succeeding and remaining in their jurisdiction.
A candidate’s likelihood of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence increases significantly if they are nominated by a province. Additionally, candidates for Express Entry who are nominated get an extra 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, which almost ensures an ITA in a future draw.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allocates available PNP nominations to each province based on targets in the most recent Immigration Levels Plan, a yearly plan that outlines the target for permanent resident admissions over the coming three years.
The provinces have recently expressed a desire for more independence in the area of economic immigration and said they would like unique arrangements with the federal government, similar to Quebec’s. According to the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has complete discretion over the choice of economic immigrants. Only this province in Canada has such a contract.
Although such agreements have not yet been reached, the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration met in March of this year and approved a new IRCC initiative called the Provincial Immigration Levels Plan, which details provincial nomination allocations for the following three years, the majority of which are higher than they have been in the past.
This will give the provinces a stronger ability to plan for more newcomers and ensure there are adequate jobs, housing, and other important infrastructure in place to support newcomers and make the province an attractive destination.
Provincial Immigration Results July 15-20
Ontario
On July 20, Ontario held two draws for applicants in specific occupations under the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream.
In a draw for IT job seekers, the province welcomed 902 people, and in a draw for healthcare professionals, 159 people. All applicants needed a CRS score between 458 and 462.
These provincial results are similar to the recently introduced category-based selection rounds of Express Entry invitations. So far this summer 2,000 healthcare professionals and 500 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) candidates have received ITAs in federal Express Entry draws.
British Columbia
British Columbia held its customary Tuesday PNP draw on July 18.
In four draws this week, the province invited more than 167 candidates. All applicants participated in either the International Graduate or Skilled Workers Streams, and Express Entry applicants were also included.
112 individuals with tech-related vocations were the main aim of the draw. A score of 88 on the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) was the minimal requirement.
The remaining three draws were also occupation-specific, and each required a minimum SIRS score of 60. The province invited:
- 39 early childhood educators and assistants
- 16 healthcare professionals
- Less than five other priority occupation candidates
Prince Edward Island
In the first PEI PNP draw of the month on July 20, PEI invited 106 applicants. There were two different types of invitations.
The first was for applicants to the Express Entry and Labor streams. Under the Critical Worker Stream, the government invited 97 applicants who are employed by PEI employers and have a minimum EOI score of 50.
Nine other applicants who met the required 80 points for the Business Work Permit Entrepreneur stream were also invited by the province.
Manitoba
A PNP draw for skilled workers abroad was held in Manitoba on July 20. As part of this draw, 595 letters of advice to apply (the MPNP’s version of an ITA) were given to applicants who met the minimum ranking score requirement of 611. Of the 595 letters sent out, 340 were provided to applicants who stated that their Express Entry profiles were legitimate, possibly indicating that they had been nominated through the upgraded PNP.
With the creation of the Advisory Council on Economic Immigration and Settlement (ACEIS), Manitoba recently held discussions about the direction of its economic immigration and settlement. The group was established with the intention of streamlining the MPNP, boosting business investment and economic immigration, and improving Manitoba’s newcomer settlement programs.
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