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All the Canada provincial nominee programs have at least one stream aligned to the federal Express Entry system. Express Entry PNP categories and streams allow provinces and territories to select eligible candidates who have their profiles in the federal Express Entry pool. The Express Entry PNP candidates selected by the provinces to be nominated for permanent residence in Canada receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score points, which guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draws.
Recent years have witnessed significant rise in admissions to Canada through Express Entry-linked PNPs. According to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), admissions through Express Entry-linked PNPs increased by 73 per cent between 2016 and 2017.
Three of the most popular Express Entry PNPs that were active last week have different approaches for selecting candidates.
Nova Scotia
A popular Express Entry PNP, Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Category B of the Nova Scotia PNP accepts candidates in a first come, first served basis. It means once the category is opened, applications are accepted in the order they are submitted till the quota is reached. When the category opened on November 17, the quota of 225 applications was reached in less than two hours. The candidates need not have a job offer to apply under this category.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island has adopted Expression of Interest (EOI) system to select Express Entry candidates for provincial nomination. Like Nova Scotia’s Express Entry PNP category, the Express Entry category of Prince Edward Island is also a popular one. Prince Edward Island conducts monthly Expression of Interest draws to invite Express Entry candidates to apply for provincial nomination. The latest Expression of Interest draw was held on November 15.
Ontario
The Express Entry streams of Ontario apply a passive approach in selecting candidates for provincial nomination. It means the candidates cannot apply or express their interest to be nominated by Ontario. Instead, Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) searches the federal Express Entry pool for candidates who match their eligibility requirements and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination. The Human Capital Priorities Stream, the French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream and the Skilled Trades Stream are the three Express Entry-aligned streams of Ontario.
Express Entry and Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program are expected to play an important role in Canada’s immigration strategy in the coming three years. If you are looking forward to immigrate to Canada, this is the right time to apply. Get in touch with us for a free eligibility assessment and all further assistance.
