Canada's Provincial Nominee Programs | May Month's Overview

In May 2022, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted several draws targeting provincial nominee candidates. Over 2,477 invitations were issued to candidates [by the various Canadian provinces and Express entry draws]. Most provinces and territories have at least one provincial program aligned to the Federal Express Entry selection system.

Highlights of Provincial Nominee Program Draws in May 2022

All Canadian provinces and territories (except Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own Provincial Nominee Programs. Having their own migration programs allow provincial governments to select most suitable candidates to meet their local labour market needs.

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)

Draws were held on May 5 in Manitoba, under three streams, namely: Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas. A total of 315 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) were issued, out of which 48 applicants had a valid Express Entry profile at the time of invitation.

Draws that were held on May 20, were exclusively for applications from Ukraine. A total of 13 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) were issued in this draw. Previously in the month of April, the province had held 3 draws (1 of which was for Ukraine), inviting a total of 546 candidates (20 of which was for Ukrainian applicants). We had published an article on our website, which you can access here.

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)

British Columbia held a total of 4 draws in the month of May, inviting 664 candidates to apply for provincial nomination through Express Entry BC and skills immigration streams. In April 2022, British Columbia had held 5 draws & a total of 670 candidates were issued invitations. We had published an article on our website, which you can access here.

Other provinces

Saskatchewan held one draw under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) and invited 198 candidates. Prince Edward Island (PEI), thorough the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) held one draw and invited 153 candidates, in which 137 candidates were selected from the Labour Impact and Express Entry streams, and 16 from the Business Impact stream.

In May, no draws were conducted by Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec.

Express Entry Draws

Draws were held on May 11 and May 25 under Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). A total of 1134 Invitations were issued, for which the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) was 741 and 753 respectively.

The below chart shows data of all PNP draws that were held in May 2022.

What are Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) & How Do They Work?

Provincial Nominee Programs are fast-tracked Canadian immigration programs and provide a unique pathway to immigrate to Canada.

There are two types of provincial nomination programs:

Base nominations: these streams work outside of the Express Entry system and are managed by provinces themselves. Base nominations are subject to streams and processing standards. The candidates opting for base nomination should meet the criteria for a PNP pathway, then apply and if successful receive a nomination certificate. Once the nomination certificate is received the candidate can apply for permanent residence status with the IRCC.

Enhanced nominations: these streams are linked with the Express Entry system. Suitable candidates are searched by the provincial immigration officials who match specific criteria. These provinces then invite the eligible candidates to apply for provincial nomination.

What is Express Entry & How Does it Work?

Express Entry is an electronic selection system used by the Federal as well as Provincial governments of Canada [to select], as well as designated Canadian employers [to nominate] candidates for Canadian permanent residence under three of its popular economic [skilled] immigration programs:

Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC),

Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), and

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Candidates eligible for any of the above programs are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in the Express Entry Pool. It is based on their Core/Human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability in English and/or French, etc. And, based on scores, candidates are periodically invited (or nominated) for permanent residence.

Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn more about ways to find a new job in Canada, making your initial days in Canada stress-free and confident.