Two provinces have invited candidates in the latest round of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw.

All Canadian provinces and territories (except Nunavut and Quebec) have PNPs, which allow provincial governments to select immigration candidates who can successfully integrate into the local economy and fill gaps in the labour force.

When a province nominates a candidate, that candidate has a stronger basis to apply to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status.

Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration

Not all PNPs operate in the same way. For example, Alberta recently developed new guidelines for the Alberta Opportunity Steam, Rural Renewal Stream, and Accelerated Tech Pathway. The province sets deadlines to accept a certain number of applications by a certain date each month to allow for more efficient processing.

The latest results show that as of July 9, the application targets for the Rural Renewal Stream (160 applications) and the Tourism and Hospitality Stream (143 applications) have been met.

As of July 11, the province also achieved its application target for the Alberta Opportunity Stream (444 applications).

Provincial Immigration Results July 6-12

Ontario

On July 9, Ontario issued 1,556 invitations to candidates in the Masters Graduate stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). Candidates needed a minimum of 54 points. It was a general draw, meaning all occupations were considered.

On the same day, the province also invited 110 candidates from the PhD graduate stream with a minimum score of 50. This too was a normal draw.

Another OINP draw took place on July 11, inviting 1277 candidates in the Express Entry: Skilled Trades stream. All candidates had a minimum score between 408-435. The draw targeted candidates in specific skilled trades occupations.

When an Express Entry candidate is nominated by a province, they receive an additional 600 points in the federal comprehensive ranking system, meaning they are almost certain to receive an invitation to apply from IRCC in an upcoming Express Entry draw.

British Columbia

On July 9, British Columbia invited over 66 candidates in five draws for candidates in the BCPNP’s skilled worker, international graduate, and entry-level and semi-skilled streams.

The biggest attraction for candidates from all streams was general (meaning no one occupation was targeted). All candidates needed a minimum of 134 marks, except entry-level and semi-skilled candidates, who needed 110 marks to be considered.

The remaining four targeted candidates in specific occupations and considered only skilled workers and international graduate candidates.

• Child Care Occupation: 10 candidates with minimum marks of 94
• Construction Occupation: 9 candidates, minimum 95 marks
• Healthcare Professions: 12 candidates with minimum marks of 104

The province also invited fewer than five candidates with a minimum of 80 points in veterinary care occupations.

Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration