By Nasir Khan, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB # R1053580), PrimeRoute Immigration Consulting Inc. Reviewed against IRCC information in November 2026.
Short answer: The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) lets a province or territory nominate people whose skills and experience fit its labour needs and who plan to live there. A nomination is not permanent residence by itself. After you are nominated, you still apply to IRCC, which makes the final decision. Each province sets its own streams, rules and limits.
How the Provincial Nominee Program works
Provinces and territories can nominate people who have the skills, education or work experience to strengthen their local economy, who plan to live there, and who want to become permanent residents of Canada. Each one has its own requirements, streams, eligibility criteria and yearly nomination limits.
You deal with two different bodies. First, you contact the province or territory to be nominated. Nominations are not made by the federal government. Then, once you have a nomination, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. IRCC checks your application, and processing times can grow when applications exceed the spaces set in the Immigration Levels Plan.
Two routes: Express Entry and non-Express Entry
The Express Entry route
This route is for people who qualify for a provincial stream and also for one of the three federal Express Entry programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program or the Canadian Experience Class. You must be nominated by the province or territory, and IRCC says a nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Read how the federal side works on our Express Entry page.
The non-Express Entry route
This route is for people who meet a provincial stream but do not meet a federal Express Entry program. You apply to the province or territory under one of its non-Express Entry streams. The province looks at its own immigration needs, whether you meet the stream’s minimum requirements and whether you genuinely plan to live there. If you receive a nomination, you can then apply to IRCC for permanent residence. The province tells you which route applies to your stream.
Which provinces and territories take part
IRCC lists these participating jurisdictions: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
Quebec and Nunavut do not have a provincial nominee program. Quebec selects its own skilled workers under its own rules, and Nunavut has separate immigration pathways.
What provinces usually look at
- The stream’s minimum requirements. Every stream has its own rules, and meeting them does not guarantee a nomination.
- Local labour needs. Provinces choose people who fit the occupations and skills they need.
- Your plan to live there. Provincial nominees must settle in the province or territory that nominated them.
- Common profile factors. Depending on the stream, a province may weigh work experience, language results, education and sometimes a job offer or a connection to the province. This varies a lot, so read each stream’s official page.
A practical order of steps
- Choose where you could realistically live and work. Look at the province’s official immigration website and its list of streams.
- Check each stream’s requirements against your occupation, experience, language results and education.
- Find out which route the stream uses, Express Entry or non-Express Entry, because the next steps differ.
- Prepare your documents early, including a language test, an education assessment if you studied outside Canada, work records and police certificates.
- Apply to the province or territory as its instructions say, and answer any request for more information on time.
- If you are nominated, apply to IRCC for permanent residence and follow any deadline in your nomination.
- Settle in the nominating province as you said you would.
Common mistakes
- Applying to a stream you do not clearly qualify for, and losing time and fees.
- Paying for a promised nomination or job offer. Provinces decide nominations, and no consultant or agent can guarantee one.
- Using an unlicensed representative. Only licensed consultants, lawyers and a few others can charge for immigration advice. You can check a consultant on the CICC public register.
- Treating a nomination as the finish line. You still need to meet IRCC’s requirements and be approved.
- Planning to move elsewhere after a nomination. Provincial nominees must settle in the province that nominated them.
- Inconsistent dates or details between the provincial and federal applications.
When a consultant can help
A consultation is most useful before you pick a province, book a test or pay any fee. We compare the streams that fit your profile, point out weak spots and set a realistic plan. We cannot promise a nomination or an approval, because the province and IRCC decide.
Official sources
- Immigrate as a provincial nominee (IRCC)
- Provincial Nominee Program: Express Entry process (IRCC)
- Provincial Nominee Program: non-Express Entry process (IRCC)
Frequently asked questions
Is a provincial nomination the same as permanent residence?
No. A nomination is one step. After you are nominated, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence, and IRCC makes the final decision.
Does every province have a nominee program?
No. Most provinces and territories do, but Quebec and Nunavut do not. Quebec selects its own skilled workers under separate rules.
How does the program work with Express Entry?
If you qualify for a provincial stream and a federal Express Entry program, you can be nominated by the province and then use the Express Entry route. IRCC says a nomination adds 600 points to your CRS score.
Do I need a job offer?
It depends on the stream. Some streams look at a job offer or a connection to the province, and others do not. Check the requirements of the specific stream.
Can I choose any province?
You choose where to apply, but you must meet that province’s stream requirements and genuinely plan to live there. Provincial nominees must settle in the province or territory that nominated them.
Can you guarantee a nomination?
No. The province and IRCC make the decisions. We can help you choose a stream and prepare a complete, accurate application.
Related: read about immigrating to Canada from overseas, Express Entry, study permits, work permits, see all Canadian immigration services, or learn how we work.
Thinking about a provincial nomination?
Book a 30-minute online consultation with Nasir Khan, RCIC-IRB # R1053580. You will get an honest look at which provinces and streams may fit your profile, including when you are not yet eligible.
This page is general information, not legal or individual immigration advice. Immigration decisions are made by government authorities such as IRCC and by provinces and territories, and no consultant can guarantee a result. Rules, fees and processing times change, so confirm current requirements on the official IRCC and provincial websites before you act.