Provincial Nominee Program I Canadian Immigration Lawyer

It is planned that the Provincial Nominee Program (“PNP“), the Quebec Skilled Worker and Quebec Experience Programs as well as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and Rural and Northern Pilot will be the basis for the expected million permanent residents in Canada between 2020 and 2023. All of these programs are expected to hold much more weight than the express entry programs. Feel free to visit our Instagram page @Canadianimmigration.law for infographics on program basics where we provide fundamental explanations of the Canadian immigration system.

The PNP allows Canadian Provinces to separately nominate individuals for permanent residence in Canada to the Federal Canadian Government based on Provincial eligibility criteria and the desire for the candidate to remain in the said Canadian Province. Each Province has the freedom to list its own eligibility criteria based on its economic needs. Certain Provinces favor language abilities while others favor certain careers and skills.

Under core Constitutional Law, the Federal Canadian Government is ultimately responsible for immigration decisions, which is why, when immigrating through the Provincial Nominee Program, you are expected to apply for immigration in two steps: one application is expected to meet the criteria set by your Canadian Province, and the other application is for the Federal government only after the Canadian Province successfully selects you. As stated earlier, each sub-program within the Canadian Provincial Nominee Program has its own eligibility criteria, which is why you or your immigration lawyer (Rana Charif) must check the specific eligibility criteria for the sub-program desired.

When you are successfully nominated by a Canadian Province, you receive a provincial nomination certificate. Afterwards, depending on which federal program you are further eligible for depending on the federal eligibility criteria, your application would proceed accordingly. Normally, most PNPs are connected to the Federal Express entry programs. And in almost all cases, a provincial nomination almost guarantees an Invitation To Apply (“ITA“). An ITA is only valid for 60 days and it signifies that the candidate is in a position to settle in Canada permanently in a matter of months from the Federal Government’s perspective. This is your final step. You can always hire or consult a qualified and highly accomplished Canadian immigration lawyer such as Rana Charif at any time to assist with your process if found complicated.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (“OINP“) welcomes skilled workers, graduates and business people. Since Ontario is home to Canada’s largest city as well as Canada’s economic capital, the OINP has many attractive sub-programs and “streams”.

The OINP has at least 7 streams that do not require job offers, and 3 others that do require job offers. They are classified under the following main sub-programs: the Ontario Express Entry (3 streams), Graduate Streams (2 streams), Employer Job Offer (3 streams), and Business Streams (2 streams).

You must meet your specific stream’s eligibility requirements before you apply. If satisfactory, you can apply online through the OINP e-Filing Portal.

Processing Times for Provincial Nominee Programs

The Processing times for most PNPs are a few months and sometimes a few weeks. However, it is important to note, as stated earlier, that there is a processing time for the provincial application and an additional one for the federal one. Paper-based applications may take a few years at the Federal Government level. If you go through a PNP that is linked to Express Entry, the Express Entry processing will still take 6 months as usual. To check processing time, go to this Canadian Government Link.

Quebec PNPs: Does Quebec have a Provincial Nominee Program?

For French speakers, Quebec does not have a Provincial Nominee Program, however it has its own Skilled Worker Program which we will be discussing in another article.

If you have any questions or require assistance from a Canadian immigration lawyer, email Rana Charif, a qualified and licensed Toronto Immigration Lawyer, at contact@ranacharif.ca or call +1 647 806 9184.