How to get Canadian permanent residency through the Provincial Nominee Program

Introduction:-  The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a popular pathway for many foreign nationals who want to become permanent residents of Canada. Each province and territory (except Quebec) has its own program developed to meet its economic and labour needs.

As of the report, the federal Express Entry system has 236,909 profiles, and the most recent CRS cut-offs for Express Entry draws in 2025 have ranged between 521 and 542.

If you don’t maintain a high CRS score or qualify for category-based Express Entry draws, the PNP may be your most suitable shot at achieving Canadian PR through monetary immigration.

How does getting a Permanent Residency through the PNP work?

Getting permanent residency through the PNP is a process.

Step 1: Choose a Province or Territory

Start by choosing the province or territory where you want to live and work. Each has its own eligibility criteria and target professions. Examples include:

1. Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
2. British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
3. Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)

Then, you must get a provincial nomination.

After receiving a provincial nomination letter, you’ll apply for PR to the Canadian federal government’s immigration department, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

To obtain a provincial or territorial nomination, you must show an intention to reside in the province or territory nominating you, in addition to fulfilling the conditions of the respective PNP stream.

Key Benefits of PNP:

• Improves your chances of getting PR
• Tailored to each province’s job market
• Presents both Express Entry and direct application routes

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria you must meet will vary depending on whether you’re applying to a base or improved PNP stream.

For both base and enhanced streams, specific eligibility criteria include but are not limited to

• Age;
• Education;
• Job offer;
• Language proficiency; and
• Work experience.

In the case of improved PNP streams, you will be required to meet additional criteria.

Base vs enhanced streams

Enhanced PNP streams are combined with the federal Express Entry system. To be qualified for an enhanced stream, you must still have a valid Express Entry profile, in addition to completing all other stream conditions.

• Base PNPs do not combine with Express Entry.
• The distinction between base and enhanced streams is relevant in three methods:
• Eligibility – what you must do to qualify for a given stream.
• Consideration – the process obeyed to be considered for provincial nomination under that stream.
• Post-nomination – the process by which you can hope to receive PR after having obtained a provincial nomination.

Enhanced streams

Enhanced streams are connected to the Express Entry system and are handled by a federal and provincial levels.

In order to qualify for an enhanced PNP stream, you must have an active Express Entry profile and meet the eligibility criteria for one of the subsequent federal programs:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); or
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

The above programs all need a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3), so if your NOC is TEER 4 or 5, you cannot authorize for enhanced PNP streams.

Base streams

Base PNP streams are handled by the province or territory, independently from the federal Express Entry system.

You do NOT need to have an Express Entry profile to authorize for a base PNP stream. As a result,

• You don’t need to complete the eligibility criteria for one of the three Express Entry-managed schedules;
• You don’t need to have a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 profession(unless required by the PNP stream);
• You don’t need settlement funds (unless the PNP stream itself requires them).
• You also don’t need language test consequences or ECAs to be regarded for many base PNPs, although you’ll generally need these at the application phase.

Some PNP streams have both a base and enhanced option.

Costs to immigrate through the PNP

The costs associated with immigrating to Canada through a PNP can vary.

If you’re successful in obtaining PR through the PNP, start to finish, you can expect to pay

• A provincial application fee;
• Federal immigration fees; and
• Third-party fees for required documents (Language test (IELTS/CELPIP), Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), Police certificates, Translation and document certification, Biometrics fee: and services.

Provincial immigration targets slashed in half

PNP programs are anticipated to be more competitive in 2025, as a consequence of decreased allocations to the provinces from the federal government. In January of 2025, the federal government also split the allocations of nominations to the PNPs—and, for Atlantic areas, spots for the Atlantic Immigration Program. Despite it now being more difficult to prepare for PNP programs, the PNP remains one of the best ways to Canadian financial PR for foreign nationals who don’t have a high CRS score or qualify for category-based preference. For more information feel free to contact us.