Canada’s immigration system is managed collaboratively by the federal government and each province and territory under the Constitution.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) empowers provinces and territories to nominate individuals interested in immigrating to Canada and settling in a specific region. The only exceptions are Nunavut and Quebec, as Quebec sets its own economic immigration criteria.

The PNP aims to distribute the advantages of immigration more evenly across the country. Before the PNP was introduced in 1998, the majority of immigrants settled in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Since then, provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as well as the Atlantic provinces—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador—have seen an increase in immigrant attraction, largely due to the PNP.

Each PNP offers at least one immigration stream that aligns with the federal Express Entry system. Nominations from these Express Entry-aligned streams are referred to as ‘enhanced nominations.’ The advantage of these streams is that they provide Express Entry candidates with an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an invitation for permanent residence. Additionally, applications for permanent residence through these streams are typically processed by the federal government within six months. Alternatively, candidates can apply through a ‘base’ stream, directly seeking a provincial nomination before their application is processed by the federal government.