With the introduction of category-based draws, some applicants are being selected for Canadian permanent residence with greater emphasis on their professional experience with their CRS scores. 

This new measure has opened immigration possibilities to many who might not have had such alternatives earlier. This leads to a question: Are there any alternatives for those who work in professions which are not targeted with category-based draws? 

The answer to this question is PNP, i.e., Provincial Nominee Program. Though PNP had previously taken a backseat in Express Entry category-based draws, it is now the primary pathway for economic immigration into the country. 

Well, PNPs follow the targeted draws model long before Express Entry, choosing to nominate applicants who can help address each province’s demographic as well as economic needs. Moreover, most PNPs have a list of targeted professions which are in high demand in the province. 

Here, we have listed some of the in-demand professions by province, which are targeted through each province’s PNP. Remember that each PNP has its own eligibility criteria, which must be met in addition to having full-time work experience in a targeted occupation. 

In addition, for individuals looking to see if any job titles match their own, it is suggested to search job titles’ NOC to determine job responsibilities & fit to your current role. NOCs are assigned to each job & are the way of the government to categorize jobs in the country. 

Alberta 

While the Alberta PNP doesn’t have a formal list of targeted professions, the province has posted the professions which are presently high in demand. This list represents the number of people who are presently employed in every role. The professions included are: 

  • Retail sales supervisors
  • Registered nurses 
  • Registered psychiatric nurses
  • Transport truck drivers
  • Retail & wholesale trade managers
  • Accounting & related clerks 

Alberta has posted its list of ineligible occupations as well, implying that people who work in these jobs are not eligible for PNP immigration. The province also holds targeted category-based draws for healthcare professionals & agricultural workers under Dedicated Healthcare Pathway & the Priority Sectors & Farm Streams, respectively. 

British Columbia 

The BC PNP separates its targeted professions into four categories: 

  • Tech professions, including data scientists, web designers, physicists, etc.
  • Healthcare professions, including dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, etc. 
  • Child Care professions, like early childhood educators, assistants, etc. 
  • Other priority professions, like Animal health technologists, veterinary technicians, etc.

Manitoba 

The Manitoba PNP is the oldest PNP in Canada. The province organizes its targeted professions into ten different categories: 

  • Business, Finance, & Administration Professions, like financial managers, human resources, administrative officers, etc.
  • Natural & applied sciences & related professions, like architects, data scientists, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, etc. 
  • Health professions, like pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists, etc. 
  • Occupations in education, law & social community, & government services, like lawyers, social workers, therapists, etc. 
  • Professions in art, sport, & recreation, like audio/ video recording technicians, graphic designers, fitness program & service directors, etc. 
  • Sales & service professions, like corporate sales managers, retail sales supervisors, bakers, etc. 
  • Trades, transport, equipment holders, & other related professions, like construction managers, tools & dye makers, plumbers, electricians, etc. 
  • Natural resources, agriculture, & related occupations targeting managers in agriculture.
  • Occupations in manufacturing & utilities, like manufacturing managers, utilities managers, power engineers, etc. 
  • Rural in-demand professions, like nurses’s aids, orderlies, industrial butchers, meat cutters, etc. 

New Brunswick

Though the NB PNP doesn’t have a list of targeted professions, the province provides information as to the sectors which had the highest job vacancies with further ability to filter these results to particular regions of New Brunswick. In July 2023, the roles in these sectors were: 

  • Sales & service roles, like retail salesperson, cashiers, retail sales supervisors, etc.
  • Other services, like administrative assistants, hair stylists, barbers, bus mechanics, etc.
  • Business, finance, & administration roles, like light duty cleaners, financial sales representatives, police officers, information service representatives, etc. 
  • Trades, transport, & equipment operators, like transport truck drivers, letter carriers, laborers in foods, beverages, & associated products processing, etc. 
  • Education, law & social & community government roles, like elementary/ kindergarten school teachers, university professionals, lecturers, superintendents, etc.   
  • Health professions, like licensed practical nurses, early childhood educators, home support workers, etc. 

Newfoundland & Labrador 

The NL PNP classifies its in-demand professions under category-based draws into four categories. These are: 

  • Healthcare professions, like physicians, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, clinical psychologists, etc. 
  • Information communications technology professions, like software developers, UX/ UI developers, AI developers, etc. 
  • Technical specialists professions, like security specialists, cloud specialists, data analysts, offshore technicians, etc. 
  • Aquaculture professions, like captains, farming & feeding managers, facility technicians, etc. 

Northwest Territories 

Like some other PNPs, the Northwest Territories PNP doesn’t have a list of targeted professions. However, the province forecasts the top in-demand professions for the next 15 years. Well, instead of categorizing these roles by category, the NT PNP sorts professions by required education & experience level. Here are the five roles forecasted to have the most job vacancies from now till 2034: 

  • Roles that need less than a high-school level of education: The occupations with the highest forecasted job vacancies are janitors, caretakers, light-duty cleaners, building superintendents, etc. 
  • Roles that need a high-school level of education: These include heavy equipment operators, transport truck drivers, retail salespeople, etc. 
  • Roles in skilled trades that need an occupational certification level of education: The roles include carpenters, electricians, automotive service technicians, mechanical repairers, etc. 
  • Roles that need a college diploma: These roles are administrative officers, administrative assistants, community service workers, etc.          
  • Roles that need a university degree: The professions include kindergarten teachers, registered nurses, psychiatric nurses, secondary school teachers, etc. 
  • Roles that need a management level of experience: These roles include retail & wholesale trade managers, construction managers, financial managers, etc.

Nova Scotia 

Nova Scotia’s PNP has a small list of targeted professions spanning numerous sectors. Moreover, these targeted professions are all within training, education, work experience, & responsibilities (TEER) levels 3, 4, & 5. TEER codes span from 0-5, with roles at the 0 level being responsibly intensive & requiring the most education as well as work experience of all jobs classified. In addition, it also includes the roles at the 5-level requiring the least education & experience. 

The targeted professions in Nova Scotia were: 

  • Nurse’s aides
  • Food & beverage servers
  • Food counter attendants, kitchen support, & other related professions
  • Light duty cleaners
  • Transport truck drivers
  • Wavy equipment operators
  • Laborers & construction trades helpers 

Ontario 

The OINP uses the OINP Employer Job Offer Stream to invite individuals who have a job offer & skills in an in-demand position. In addition, the stream also has several other stipulations, like median wages, language capabilities, work experience, etc. 

Moreover, in-demand professions come in two forms, i.e., in-demand jobs for positions in Ontario & in-demand positions outside of GTA. 

Some in-demand positions in Ontario include: 

  • Home support workers, caregivers, & other associated professions
  • Meat cutters & fish mongers
  • Construction trade support & laborers 

The positions outside of GTA include: 

  • Machine operators, mineral, & metal processing
  • Mechanical assemblers & inspectors
  • Metalworking & forging machine operators 

Prince Edward Island 

PEI PNP targets the following professions: 

  • Light duty cleaners
  • Transport truck drivers
  • Nurse’s aides & patient service associates
  • Construction trade helpers & laborers
  • Other laborers in processing, manufacturing, as well as utilities  
  • Material handlers
  • Process control & machine operators 
  • Industrial butchers & meat cutters 
  • Poultry preparers 

Saskatchewan 

Saskatchewan’s PNP doesn’t have any targeted profession list. Instead, the province selects targeted professions in TEER labels 0, 1, 2, & 3, except those included in the excluded profession list. In addition, occupations in this list are not eligible to apply for SINP via Express Entry & Occupations In-Demand streams.  

Yukon 

Like some other provinces, YNP doesn’t have a list of eligible professions. Instead, it utilizes two streams, i.e., the Skilled Worker & Critical Impact Worker Stream, in order to target individuals in professions with TEER Levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5. Moreover, employers as well as employees must both apply to the program.