Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba have invited candidates in the first Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws of 2024.
Through the PNP, provincial governments can review and select the economic immigration candidates that they feel are best suited to the local labour force and economy, meaning that it will be easier for them to economically establish within the province. This often leads to a higher rate of retention of newcomers within a province.
Under each province’s PNP, there are streams that target candidates with specific occupations or attributes. For example, Ontario recently expanded the eligibility criteria under the International Graduate stream to include applicants who complete a one-year program at a designated learning institution in the province.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration
Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 shows that the country plans to admit 110,000 new permanent residents through the PNP in 2024. This is because immigration is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial governments. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allocates a number of nominations to provinces each year based factors such as the existing population, infrastructure, labour force needs, and available settlement services.
All provinces and territories in Canada have PNP programs and streams, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut. Quebec has a separate agreement with the federal government.
Provincial immigration results January 1-12
Ontario
Ontario held two Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program draws this week. On January 9, the province held two targeted draws for candidates in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream. One of the draws targeted 821 candidates in healthcare and tech occupations with a minimum score of 40 or above.
Another draw in the same steam invited 630 candidates in skilled trades occupations. They needed a minimum score of 33 or higher.
Another draw took place on January 11 and invited 2,552 candidates from the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream. Candidates in this stream already have applications in the federal Express Entry application pool and required a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score ranging between 350-424.
British Columbia
On January 10, British Columbia invited more than 372 candidates in three streams of the BC PNP.
In total, there were five draws. The largest was a general draw which invited 110 candidates from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate and Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Worker streams. Skilled Workers and International Graduates needed a minimum score of 120 and Entry –Level and Semi-Skilled Workers needed to score at least 100.
The remaining four draws were targeted for Skilled Worker and International Graduate candidates in specific occupations including 74 candidates in construction occupations with a minimum score of 75.
All candidates in the remaining three draws needed a minimum score of 60 to be considered:
- 113 candidates in childcare occupations
- 75 candidates in healthcare occupations
- Less than candidates in veterinary care occupations
Manitoba
Manitoba invited 431 candidates from three streams in four separate Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) draws on January 11.
Two of the draws were for Skilled Workers in Manitoba. One considered all eligible profiles and invited 166 candidates with a minimum score of 607.
The other was for 168 Skilled Workers in Manitoba who can demonstrate that they have a close relative in Manitoba who is either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident that has been living in the province for at least one year.
Candidates in this draw needed a minimum score of 607 to be considered.
The remaining two draws invited 58 candidates from the International Education Stream and 31 Skilled Workers Overseas candidates with a minimum score of 639.
