Why skilled workers and international graduates in Quebec should explore alternative provincial pathways

Temporary residents currently residing in Quebec may want to explore other provincial pathways to permanent residence, due to the recent suspension of the Regular Skilled Worker Program and the PEQ–Diplôme streams.

In addition to federal immigration options, individuals may also want to explore Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in other provinces and territories across Canada.

While there are no guarantees in the Canadian immigration process, obtaining a provincial nomination provides a solid pathway to apply for permanent residence (PR) through the federal government.

If you’re considering living in a province or territory other than Quebec, it’s worthwhile to explore the PNP streams available in the regions you’re interested in.

For example, you could take the following steps:

1. Choose the province or territory where you’d like to live.
2. Identify which PNP stream(s) you are eligible for.
3. Follow the application process for the selected stream(s).
4. If successful, apply for provincial nomination.
5. If nominated, receive your provincial nomination.
6. After receiving the nomination, wait for an invitation to apply (ITA).
7. Submit your permanent residence (PR) application to the Canadian federal government.

Why consider Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)?

PNPs offer a valuable pathway to permanent residence for candidates who may not otherwise be able to receive an invitation to apply:

• Candidates with low Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores who don’t qualify for category-based draws.
• Candidates who don’t meet the requirements for an Express Entry program, such as those with a National Occupation Classification (NOC) Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) 4 or 5 occupation.

For these candidates, PNPs often provide the best opportunity to obtain Canadian permanent residence through economic immigration.

How do I choose a PNP stream?

There are more than 60 PNP streams across Canada. Start by deciding which provinces or territories you’d like to settle in, and then research the specific streams available in those regions to see which ones you qualify for.

It’s important to note that all PNPs require you to demonstrate an intent to live and settle in the province or territory that nominates you.

What factors determine eligibility for PNP streams?

Most Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams focus on candidates with specific ties to the province or territory. However, many streams are also open to candidates from other regions. Here are some examples of these ties:

Type of Tie | Sample Questions to Assess the Tie

Residence

• Does the candidate currently live in the province or territory, or have they lived there in the past?

Family Members

• Does the candidate have family members who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in the province?
• How well settled are these family members in the province?

Education

• Has the candidate completed post-secondary education in the province?
• What level of education did they complete?

Job Offer / Arranged Employment

• Does the candidate have a job offer, or are they currently employed in the province?
• What is their current position (and NOC code)?
• What is their compensation?

Work Experience

• Has the candidate gained eligible full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time work) in the province?
• How long have they worked in this capacity?

Professional Licensing

• Certain professions in Canada require provincial or federal licensing to legally practice.
• Does the candidate hold the necessary professional license to work in their field within the province?
• How long has the candidate held this license, and what work have they done in this capacity?

Time Spent Living in the Province

• Has the candidate previously lived in the province before applying for immigration?
• How long did they live there, and what activities were they involved in while living there?

Employer Support (if applicable)

• Some PNP streams, particularly those for candidates with a job offer in the province, may require employer support.
• This can include letters of support, proof of employment, or covering application fees.

Other Factors Considered by PNPs

In addition to ties to the province, PNPs may also assess candidates based on human capital factors, such as:

• Age
• Work experience (both Canadian and foreign)
• Education (both Canadian and foreign)
• Settlement funds
• Income
• Language proficiency (in English and/or French)
• Job offer (and corresponding NOC code)

Some PNPs use a scoring system to rank applicants and may require candidates to meet a minimum score for eligibility. Invitations are often extended based on applicants’ scores.

Which type of PNP stream is best?

There are two types of Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams:

1. Base PNP Streams
2. Enhanced PNP Streams

PNP Stream Type	Description	Best For	Historical Processing Time (after receiving an ITA)
Base	Does not integrate with Express Entry	Candidates who do not qualify for Express Entry	12 months
Enhanced	Integrates with Express Entry	Candidates who qualify for Express Entry	6 months

Base PNP Streams

Base streams are for candidates who do not qualify for Express Entry. If you are nominated through a base PNP stream, you can expect an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) after receiving the provincial nomination. Once you receive the ITA, you would then apply for permanent residency through the federal government.

Enhanced PNP Streams

Enhanced streams are integrated with Express Entry. If you are nominated through an enhanced PNP stream, you will receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points in your Express Entry profile. This boost significantly increases your chances of receiving an ITA in the next Express Entry draw that you are eligible for.

Which stream is best?

• Base streams are ideal for those who do not qualify for Express Entry but still want to apply for permanent residency through a provincial nomination.
• Enhanced streams are best for those who qualify for Express Entry and want to significantly increase their chances of receiving an ITA by gaining additional CRS points.

The processing time for enhanced streams is typically shorter (about 6 months), while base streams can take longer (around 12 months).

As shown in the table above, if you qualify for an enhanced PNP stream, you would generally prefer to choose the enhanced route. This is because it offers a faster processing time after you respond to your Invitation to Apply (ITA) with a complete permanent residence application to IRCC.

However, there are several reasons why the enhanced route might not be available to you:

The specific PNP stream you are interested in may not have an enhanced option. Additionally, you might not qualify for Express Entry due to one or more of the following reasons:

• Your occupation falls under NOC TEER 4 or 5, which is not eligible for Express Entry.
• You don’t have the required one year of Canadian skilled work experience to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
• You lack the settlement funds, work authorization, or a valid job offer needed to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

How do I get considered for PNPs?

The consideration process will vary depending on the stream. Just like eligibility requirements, applications to PNP streams can take on different forms. The consideration process for PNP streams can be either passive or active.

Active consideration process

Streams with an active consideration process require that you take some positive action in order to be considered—for example, many active PNP streams require that you create an online profile on the PNP’s website and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and/or email the PNP.

The province would then review your EOI, and, if you’re successful, would request that you submit a full application to the PNP.

Passive consideration process

Some enhanced PNP streams involve a passive consideration process. For these streams, so long as you have an up-to-date Express Entry profile, the province will consider you for nomination on the basis of the information in your profile.

If you’re eligible for a passive PNP stream, you might receive an invitation from the PNP through the Express Entry system, or an email. You would then have a certain time period to respond to the PNP’s invitation.

How long does it take to process PR applications through PNPs?

Obtaining permanent residency through a PNP program involves three steps:

1. Provincial Nomination: The first step is to receive a provincial nomination. Processing times for this step can vary depending on the province and the stream, but it typically takes anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
2. Invitation to Apply (ITA) or Express Entry Profile Update: If you are nominated through a base PNP stream, you will receive an ITA from IRCC to apply for permanent residency. If you are nominated through an enhanced stream, you will receive 600 additional CRS points, which will likely lead to an ITA in an Express Entry draw. This step can take 1 to 3 months after the provincial nomination, depending on the processing speed of IRCC and Express Entry draws.
3. Permanent Residency Application Processing: Once you submit your permanent residency application, IRCC generally processes it in 6 to 12 months. For enhanced streams, processing is typically faster (around 6 months), while base streams may take longer (up to 12 months).

In total, the process can take anywhere from 6 months to 18 months, depending on the stream and other factors such as the specific province, your eligibility, and the processing times of IRCC.

Process and Timeline for PR through PNPs

To obtain permanent residency (PR) through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), you must complete several steps:

1. Obtain Provincial Nomination
   The first step is to receive a provincial nomination, which can take several months depending on the province and the specific stream.
2. Receive ITA from IRCC
   After receiving the provincial nomination, you will either receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) (for base PNP streams) or be awarded 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points (for enhanced PNP streams), which significantly increases your chances of receiving an ITA in an Express Entry draw.
3. Apply to IRCC for PR
   Once you have the ITA, you will need to submit your permanent residency application to IRCC. Processing times for this step vary, but it typically takes 6 to 12 months.

Total Time for the Process

The total time from start to finish will depend on:

• How long it takes for you to receive the provincial nomination
• How long it takes IRCC to extend an ITA to you
• How long it takes for you to respond to the ITA and submit your PR application
• How long it takes IRCC to process your PR application

As obtaining PR through a PNP involves the time required for the province to review your candidacy and issue a nomination, the entire process tends to take longer than federal immigration streams.

Rough Timeline

• Provincial Nomination: Typically takes several months to 1 year.
• ITA and PR Application Processing by IRCC: After receiving your provincial nomination, it may take another several months to 1 year (or longer) for IRCC to process your PR application.

Therefore, the entire process can take anywhere from 12 to 30 months from start to finish.

Resources for Estimated Processing Times

Applicants can refer to both the IRCC website and the relevant provincial immigration website for updated processing times and additional details on wait times for specific streams.

A Note on Intent to Reside

To be eligible for any PNP stream, you must demonstrate an intent to reside in the province or territory that nominates you. If you are successful in receiving PR through a provincial nomination, you will be expected to settle in that province or territory once your PR is granted.

Why do PNPs exist?

Each province and territory in Canada (except Quebec and Nunavut) operates its own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams, which allow them to nominate candidates for permanent residency.

While immigration is primarily under the authority of the Canadian federal government, the federal government has given provinces and territories the ability to create their own PNPs. This allows provinces to use immigration to meet their specific economic, labour market, and cultural needs.

It’s important to note that the PNP does not grant permanent residency. Instead, provinces and territories can nominate candidates, and upon receiving a nomination, candidates are invited by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to apply for permanent residency. IRCC is responsible for making the final decision on all permanent residency applications.

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