PNP Draws Conducted by Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
This week, four Canadian provinces held Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, an important pathway for economic immigrants in Canada. PNP helps distribute immigration benefits across the country while addressing specific labour and demographic challenges faced by provinces.
PNP’s Express Entry-aligned streams, known as enhanced PNP nominations, accept candidates from the federal Express Entry pool. Candidates can apply to a province’s enhanced PNP streams, and if eligible, receive a provincial nomination or Notification of Interest (NOI). This results in an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, practically guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the specific enhanced PNP stream.
Recent PNP Draws – March 17-24
Ontario:
On March 23, the Ontario PNP (OINP) held a Skilled Trades stream draw, issuing 746 NOIs to candidates with CRS scores ranging from 250-489. NOIs were sent to those who created Express Entry profiles between March 23, 2022, and March 23, 2023. OINP economic stream draws target specific professions listed in the program updates.
British Columbia:
The British Columbia PNP (BCPNP) held a draw on March 21, issuing at least 254 NOIs across six streams. In the Skilled Worker International Graduate stream, BCPNP held three targeted draws for early childhood educators, healthcare professionals, and other priority occupation candidates.
Manitoba:
On March 23, the Manitoba PNP (MPNP) held a draw, issuing 566 NOIs (Letters of Advice to Apply) across various streams, targeting candidates in specific in-demand professions and international education streams, as well as skilled workers overseas.
Saskatchewan:
On March 23, the Saskatchewan PNP (SINP) held two draws, inviting candidates from both Express Entry and Occupations in-demand streams. A total of 184 Express Entry candidates and 312 Occupations in-demand candidates received NOIs with a minimum score of 82.
PNP’s future importance in Canadian immigration is expected to grow. Following a recent meeting between the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI), it was announced that provincial immigration would receive its multi-year levels plan, allowing provinces to plan accordingly. Additionally, many provinces saw an increase in future immigration allocations, including Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
