Canada is a dream of a holiday for many citizens of the world. Characterized by its cozy standard of living, both, cultural and religious diversity, labour market, the given country is a home to thousands of immigrants each year. In a bid to make the immigration process easier Canada has put in place various immigration channels one of which is the Provincial Nominee Program. This has made this program more suitable for immigrants who wish to settle in certain provinces and territories because they determine who to select.
In this article, we will seek to understand more about the Provincial Nominee Program, its eligibility criteria, categories and the steps you need to follow to be on the right side of the law to apply for PN.
What is a Provincial Nominee Program?
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a Canada immigration program developed by the provinces and territories to identify a number of economic essentialities within their region by choosing skilled workers, business and special talents. These programs support the Canadian provinces and territories to meet shortages in labour markets and progress the economic development of the province or territory of Canada through the nomination of the qualifying foreign nationals.
PNP is different for each province or territory, targeting different categories such as skilled worker, business person, or international student. In this point of view, immigration through the province nomination is a fast-track process whereby once an individual is nominated by a province, they can apply for the permanent residency through Canada immigration system.
Canada Provincial Nominee Program Requirements
The basic qualification or the eligibility that will enable one to gain admission into the PNPs program differs from one province to the other as each of the province has its own special needs and demands in the labour market. However, there are some conditions that are common to most PNPs as will be observed in the subsequent discussion. These include:
- Skills and Experience: The applicant must therefore have work experience skills or qualifications that are relevant to the province. This may relate from certain skills needed in a certain job or project to more general knowledge.
- Language Proficiency: All but a few provinces may demand the proof of the applicant’s proficiency in English or French. The language requirements vary depending on the program, although most of the applicants are required to prove their ability to communicate in any of the official languages in the country.
- Intention to Reside: One of the basic requirements is for the applicant to demonstrate his/her willing and ability to reside in the nominating province. This can be done through relations in the family, invitation to jobs or any other bond deemed to have a link to the province.
- Financial Stability: Most PNPs quite expect applicants to provide proof they have adequate amount of financial resources to support themselves and their dependents after moving to Canada.
- Job Offer: There are some PNPs that have a condition that before one can apply he or she must have a valid job offer from an employer in the province though this is not compulsory in all the PNPs.
Types of Canada Provincial Nominee Programs
The PNPs are grouped in a variety of categories, as they are meant to address the problem of immigrants from different countries. Of the two, the most popular PNPs are the Skilled Worker PNP and the Business Immigration Program.
Skilled Worker PNP:
This is one of the largest and most recognized streams under the PNP. The Skilled Worker PNP is employed by the provinces to nominate individuals having the skills and experience of the selected occupations valued by each province. These candidates are usually chosen on the grounds of education, expert experience, fluency in language, and versatility. Provinces with corresponding express entry streams also exist in which candidates can receive faster processing times that are linked to the federal express entry system.
The Skilled Worker PNP will fit well for those in professions like; healthcare, information technology, engineers, and skilled workers. The requirements depend on the province and show that the applicant is capable to support the province economy.
Business Immigration Program:
There are also business categories in the PNP of many provinces for entrepreneurs, investors and employees who want to establish businesses in Canada. This stream is expected to find people who will be useful to the development of the province through the generation of employment and economic activities.
The Business Immigration Program normally has conditions such as business experience, financial net worth, and a business plan. Sometimes the applicants also need to make some capital investment of a specified minimum sum into an enterprise in the host country.
How To Qualify for Provincial Nominee Programs
The main entrance criteria to the Provincial Nominee Program are the following concerning work experience, education, and language proficiency. To qualify for most skilled worker programs you must have at least one or two years of full time work experience in the occupation. You have to have sufficient work experience to set a value to meet the needs of the province’s workforce. For instance, if a province is searching for healthcare workers, then you need to have some working experience in any healthcare facility.
Besides, the work experience the other crucial consideration is education. Almost all provinces demand at least high school diploma with certain skilled worker programs demanding post secondary education in specific fields. It is worth mentioning that having higher education or specialized training can also greatly increase your chances of being nominated.
Education level is also important since many people require an educational degree to obtain a work visa to work in Canada, which consists of two official languages: English and French. Skills in language or else you will write an exam in the language you are applying for and most provinces demand this frequently, for the English language the test is IELTS or CELPIP and for French the test is TEF. They will also test your language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Also, to apply, one must prove that he or she is willing to work and live in one of the province by providing proof of his/her connection to the region. This could span from having members of the family or friends residing in the province, previous employment experience in the province or something else to prove that you want to be relocated there.
Applying for a PNP
Some of the Canadian provinces require you to apply to the federal immigration system as soon as you get a provincial nomination. The application process generally involves two stages:
Provincial Application: First, you need to file your application with the PNP of the province or territory of your choice for you to reside in. If by any chance your application succeeds , you will be issued with a nomination certificate.
Federal Application: Once you received the nomination, it is possible to apply for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This process involves sending a provincial nomination certificate or the documents like police certificates, medical report and proof of funds.
Finally, it is also crystal clear that the provincial nominee program of Canada opens a worthy way to immigration for persons interested in living in definite provinces of the country. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to explain the various PNP options as well as the criteria for each in order to help you increase your possibilities of receiving PR status in Canada.
