What is a provincial nomination program and how does it help you gain permanent residency? Canada has several programs or streams available for potential immigrants. Most of these come in the form of provincial nominations which is governed by the provinces or territories of Canada, which has their own requirements and streams or programs.
Provinces target business people, students, skilled workers or semi-skilled workers according to their individual objectives.
Applicants need to:
have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to that province’s economy
want to live and settle in that province
want to become permanent residents of Canada
Provincial nomination programs can be divided in Express Entry or non-Express Entry applications, the type of application is dependent on the stream or program you’re applying to.
Express Entry process:
In the online Express Entry process, there are 2 ways to apply:
You contact the province or territory and apply for a nomination under an Express Entry stream.
If the province or territory agrees to nominate you, you create an Express Entry profile (or update your profile if you already have one) and show you have been nominated.
OR
You create an Express Entry profile and show the provinces and territories you’re interested in.
If a province or territory sends you a “notification of interest” to your account, you contact them directly.
You apply to their Express Entry stream:
If you’re nominated, the province will offer it to you through your account, and you accept it electronically.
In both cases:
You must meet the eligibility requirements of the province or territory. And,
You must submit an Express Entry profile and show that you meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for one of the immigration programs it covers.
If you are invited to apply, you submit an electronic application to IRCC.
Non - Express Entry process:
You apply to the province or territory for nomination under a non-Express Entry stream.
You need to meet the eligibility requirements of the province that nominates you.
Once you have been nominated, you submit a paper application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
You have to pass a medical exam and get a police check (certificate). Everyone must have these checks, no matter where you plan to live in Canada.
Application processing times are longer than through Express Entry.
Successfully submitting an Expression of Interest to a province does not guarantee you an invitation to apply to that province. Some provinces focus on specific occupations, some score you against other applicants and for others you only need to prove you’re eligible to apply.
To be nominated by a province or territory, you must follow the instructions on their website and contact them directly:
· Alberta
· Manitoba
· Ontario
· Yukon
Provincial nomination programs and their criteria can change without notice and varies from province to province.
To explore provincial nomination programs & find out if you're eligible for one of the streams or programs, book a consultation with our Registered Immigration Consultant, Marcia Freese.
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