Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba have issued invitations to apply for permanent residency through their most recent rounds of provincial nominee program (PNP) draws.
All but two Canadian provinces and territories (Quebec and Nunavut) operate their provincial nominee programs.
Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for provincial nomination. If they successfully gain this status, it can be advantageous when using the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) – a process that helps individuals become permanent residents of Canada.
The province of Quebec administers its immigration programs, which are different from Canada’s. The only exception is that citizens or permanent residents of countries who have signed agreements with the federal government may also apply as a first step towards seeking Canadian citizenship under Quebec law—not directly to the province itself.
The Provincial Nominee Program accounts for 105,000 PR admissions per year. The program started in 1998, and PNP admissions have steadily increased.
Both federal and provincial governments see economic development as an essential tool to promote growth in rural areas.
On January 10, Ontario issued invitations to 404 foreign workers and their families interested in immigrating to Canada via the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
The Economic Mobility Pathways Project has issued two invitations to communities.
The draw targeted skilled trades workers with full-time job offers in a professional occupation at the National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories 0, 1, 2 or 3. To qualify for this program, candidates must score 35 and above on the points test.
The province announced on December 22 that it had invited 9,750 candidates—the maximum number allocated for the year. In total, for 2022, Ontario issued invitations to 9,750 candidates.
The province says that new applications and those who had already applied to Ontario’s Nominee Program can still submit their application under the program’s 2023 nomination allocation.
British Columbia
British Columbia issued 123 invitations to apply to candidates in a targeted draw for tech occupations on January 10. The invitations were issued to skilled workers, international graduates and applicants in the Express Entry pool. Since the tech stream of British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program was launched in 2017, more than 6,000 tech workers have been nominated for permanent residency.
Candidates were required to have a minimum SIRS score of 90. SIRS is similar to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) but applies only to British Columbia’s provincial nominee program.
The province held recruitment rounds for candidates working in the following occupations.
- Childcare workers with a score of at least 60 points who have completed an early childhood education program;
- Seventeen healthcare workers from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate and Express Entry categories with scores of at least 60 points.
- High-demand occupations such as police officer, accountant and registered nurse all require at least 60 points.
Manitoba
Manitoba invited 322 candidates through the Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program on January 12. To receive an invitation, candidates must meet baseline criteria for their program. In total, the province invited:
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba issued 260 invitations with a minimum score of 734.
- Skilled Workers Overseas issued 20 invitations with a minimum score of 713.
- International Education Stream issued 42 invitations with no score requirement.
Of all who were invited to apply, 27 had profiles in the Express Entry system.