Canada’s three provinces have issued invitations to qualified candidates in the latest PNP draw.

In an effort to encourage immigration, British Columbia and Ontario each launched their own Provincial Nominee Programs. PNPs were created in 1998 with the intention of sharing the benefits of immigration with Canadian regions that have historically received fewer arrivals.

Provincial governments and IRCC work together on immigration-related issues. Each participating province and territory receives a set number of nominations from the IRCC through the PNP. Provinces then choose applicants for economic immigration who have the best chance of assimilating into Canada’s economy.

A candidate does not instantly become a permanent resident just because they receive a nomination from a province. Rather, it makes their application stronger when they send the IRCC their last request for permanent residency. Indeed, candidates for Express Entry with a provincial nomination score an extra 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), greatly boosting their prospects of being invited to apply (ITA) in a future Express Entry draw.

Because it lacks a PNP, Quebec functions differently. It is able to independently oversee the selection of all of its candidates for economic immigration thanks to a special arrangement it has with the federal government. In terms of the amount of immigrants it hopes to accept each year, Quebec also makes its own plans.

Results of provincial immigration from September 14 to 20

Ontario

The Master’s Graduate and PhD Graduate streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited candidates on September 17.

PhD applicants with scores of 45 or higher received 194 invites, whereas 1,249 invitations were extended to Master’s graduate candidates with scores of 53 or higher.

In addition, the province held a second candidate draw on September 19 for the OINP’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream. In order to be qualified for this targeted draw, 1,424 candidates in “other priority occupations” had to have a CRS score between 505 and 528.

British Columbia

On September 17, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) held draws, inviting more than 163 candidates.

Candidates were chosen from the BC PNP’s Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled, International Graduate, and Skilled Worker streams in the biggest draw. Candidates in the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams were required to have a minimum score of 128. This included those qualified for BC Express Entry.

Candidates have to score at least 110 to be qualified for the Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Worker stream.

Three recent draws for Skilled Workers and International Graduates have resulted in the following:

  • Childcare: 43 candidates with a minimum score of 83 were selected.
  • Construction: 29 candidates with a minimum score of 89 were chosen.
  • Healthcare: 29 candidates with a minimum score of 99 were accepted.

Quebec 

The outcomes of the September 5 provincial selection draw for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program have been made public by Quebec. Results of the selection draw are usually announced by the province after the fact.

A minimum score of 575 points was required for permanent selection. In this draw, 1,417 people were invited to apply.

Furthermore, according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (Quebec’s scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or a similar norm, all candidates had to show that they could speak French orally at least at a level 7.

If an applicant received a job offer from outside the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, they might be considered. This could enhance their chances of being selected.