Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP): how provinces select immigrants
Workers, graduates, and business people who have a job, education, or other connection to a specific province or territory and want a provincial nomination for permanent residence.
Steps, in order
- Use the site's program matcher and provincial calculators to shortlist streams that fit your profile.
- Check the province's own page for the stream: many streams are employer-driven, invitation-only, or open only to graduates of that province.
- Submit an expression of interest or an application to the province, as the stream requires.
- If nominated, apply to IRCC for permanent residence; a provincial nomination does not itself grant permanent residence.
Who is eligible — the essentials
- Each province and territory runs its own streams with its own grid, job-offer rules, and invitation pattern; there is no single national PNP grid.
- Some streams are Express Entry-aligned and some are paper-based; processing and next steps differ.
- Quebec selects its own skilled workers under a separate agreement and is not part of the PNP; see the Quebec guides and the Quebec calculators on this site.
Documents you will usually need
- Job offer from an employer in the province, where the stream requires it
- Language test results at the stream's level
- Education and work-experience evidence
- Proof of connection to the province (work, study, family, or past residence, depending on the stream)
- Settlement funds where required
Common mistakes
- Applying to a stream that is closed, paused, or invitation-only without an invitation.
- Assuming a nomination equals permanent residence — the federal stage still follows.
- Claiming a provincial connection the stream does not recognize.
Official source
General information only — not legal advice. Immigration rules change. Always check the official source above before applying.