This specific class of PNPs are known as “Enhanced Nominations”. The total score available for any candidate in the Express Entry pool is 1200. Out of this, 600 points are reserved for provincial and territorial nominations, leaving another 600 points for non-PNP applications. When a province nominates a candidate, he or she receives 600 CRS points, which triggers an Invitation to Apply (ITA). For enhanced nominations, the candidate must be Express Entry eligible. To see if you are eligible for Express Entry, visit our Express Entry Selection Grid page by clicking here. Or, you can start a FREE assessment by clicking here.

Depending on the province or territory, applicants need to be in the Express Entry pool to receive a provincial nomination, or, they can be nominated by the province first before they enter the Express Entry pool. Under normal circumstances, the candidate is required to be in the pool first before he or she can be nominated by a province or territory under an Express Entry aligned Provincial Nomination Program (PNP).

Regular Provincial Nominations:

This is also known as “Base Nominations”. Under this category, the applicant makes an application for permanent residence directly with the province or territory, under the norms of the program stipulated by the respective province or territory. That is, there is no role for Express Entry in these categories of nominations. Regular or base nominations are preferred by candidates who are not Express Entry eligible. Candidates who take part in base nominations will not receive 600 CRS points into their Express Entry profile. The immigration process with respect to base nominations comprises two steps:

Step 1: The candidate must apply under a non-Express Entry aligned provincial nominee program, and secure a Provincial Nomination Certificate. 

Step 2: The candidate, once he or she has received the Provincial Nomination Certificate, need to apply to IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) for permanent Residence. IRCC will issue the permanent resident visa (PR visa) once the applicant has successfully passed the medical and police/penal checks. To see if you are eligible for any of the Canadian immigration programs, click here.

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