Provincial Nominee,
your province-led path.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province. Each province operates its own PNP with multiple streams — typically split across skilled workers, international graduates, and entrepreneurs / business investors.

If nominated, the applicant (and their spouse and dependent children) can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. IRCC, a federal department, makes the final decision on the PR application.

Many PNP streams are aligned with the federal Express Entry system. A successful nomination through an Express-Entry-aligned stream adds 600 CRS points to the candidate's profile, effectively guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) offers permanent-residence pathways for skilled workers and entrepreneurs to address labour shortages, attract talent, and support business growth in the province.

Streams for workers

1. Alberta Opportunity Stream — open to candidates already working full-time in Alberta with a valid full-time job offer in an eligible occupation and a valid work permit. Post-Graduation Work Permit holders need at least 6 months of full-time experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the past 18 months.
2. Alberta Express Entry Stream — selects candidates from the federal Express Entry pool who meet Alberta's labour-market needs. Prioritises in-demand experience plus a family connection in Alberta, plus dedicated pathways for healthcare, tech, and law-enforcement candidates.
3. Rural Renewal Stream — supports the attraction and retention of newcomers to rural Alberta through a community-driven endorsement process. Open to Temporary Foreign Workers and Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) refugee candidates.
4. Tourism and Hospitality Stream — for individuals currently living and working in Alberta with a full-time job offer from a tourism / hospitality employer in an eligible occupation. Requires at least 6 consecutive months (or 780 hours) of full-time work for an approved employer.

Streams for entrepreneurs

1. Rural Entrepreneur — start or buy an existing business in a rural Alberta community. Requires 3+ years as an active business owner / manager (or 4+ years as a senior manager) within the past 10 years; minimum high-school-equivalent education; community support letter; minimum 1 full-time job for a Canadian / PR (not a relative), maintained 6+ months.
2. Graduate Entrepreneur Stream — for qualified international graduates of Alberta post-secondary institutions establishing or operating an Alberta business. Requires a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit at Expression of Interest submission.
3. Farm Stream — for entrepreneurs with the financial resources and farm-management experience to establish or purchase a farm in Alberta. Minimum CDN $500,000 of equity in a primary-production farming business required.
4. Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur — for foreign-educated graduates from outside Canada launching start-ups in Alberta with the support of a designated agency. Minimum CLB / NCLC 5; minimum 34% ownership in urban centres or 51% in regional areas; minimum CAD $100,000 (urban) or $50,000 (regional) investment.

The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) selects skilled workers and entrepreneurs to fill job vacancies or establish businesses in the province. The BC PNP has two main categories: Skills Immigration and Entrepreneur Immigration.

Skills Immigration

1. Skilled Worker — for experienced professionals, managers, technicians, tradespeople and other skilled workers. Requires a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a B.C. employer in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, qualification for the duties, at least 2 years of full-time experience, and the minimum language requirement.
2. Health Authority — for individuals working for a B.C. public health authority, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and midwives. Includes an Express Entry BC (EEBC) option.
3. Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS) — for select tourism / hospitality or food-processing roles. Full-time indeterminate job offer in NOC TEER 4 or 5; at least 9 months of full-time work with the same employer.

The International Graduate and International Post-Graduate streams are now closed to new registrations; B.C. plans to launch three new streams for international students.

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) provides a complementary pathway for skilled refugees with permanent full-time job offers outside Metro Vancouver.

Entrepreneur Immigration

1. Base Stream — personal net worth ≥ CAD $600,000; new or improved existing business; minimum personal investment of CAD $200,000.
2. Regional Stream — community referral required; net worth ≥ CAD $300,000; investment ≥ CAD $100,000; create at least one job.
3. Strategic Projects — foreign corporations transferring up to five senior employees to manage a B.C. operation, subject to investment-readiness and significant economic-benefit tests.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) offers three streams.

1. Skilled Worker — nominates applicants with a strong connection to Manitoba through ongoing employment plus the skills, education, work experience, and official-language proficiency to make an immediate and ongoing contribution. Includes Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Worker Overseas (with Manitoba Support, Manitoba Experience, or Manitoba Invitation pathways).
2. International Education Stream (IES) — for Manitoba graduates: Career Employment Pathway, Graduate Internship Pathway, and the International Student Entrepreneur Pilot (ISEP, capped at 20 candidates per year).
3. Business Investor Stream (BIS) — Entrepreneur Pathway and Farm Investor Pathway. Entrepreneurs need 3+ years of business-ownership or senior-management experience in the past 5 years; farm investors need at least CAD $300,000 invested in a rural Manitoba farm and active management on-site.

New Brunswick's immigration streams provide permanent-residence pathways for foreign workers and businesspeople with the skills, education and experience needed for the province's economy.

1. Express Entry Stream — Employment in New Brunswick pathway (already living and working in NB in a TEER 0/1/2/3 role) and the New Brunswick Interests pathway (received a letter of interest in the federal Express Entry profile).
2. Strategic Initiative Stream — for French-speaking workers with the skills, education and experience to contribute to NB's economy.
3. Skilled Worker Stream (3 pathways for 2025): New Brunswick Experience pathway, New Brunswick Graduates pathway, and New Brunswick Priority Occupations pathway.
4. Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program — for international graduates of select 1- and 2-year programs leading to careers in priority occupations.
5. Business Immigration Stream — for experienced entrepreneurs ready to establish, operate and actively manage a business in NB. Ages 19-59; minimum CLB 4; minimum high-school education; net worth ≥ CAD $500,000 (CAD $300,000 for farming); ≥ 51% ownership; business plan with ≥ CAD $150,000 investment and one full-time job created; minimum 65 points.

The NLPNP nominates prospective immigrants with in-demand skills and experience for permanent residence in the province.

1. NLPNP Express Entry – Skilled Worker — expedited pathway for highly skilled candidates already in the federal Express Entry pool with a full-time job or job offer in TEER 0/1/2/3.
2. NLPNP Skilled Worker — for foreign nationals with skills beneficial to the province's labour market. Ages 21-59; full-time job or job offer in a TEER 0-5 occupation from an eligible employer.
3. NLPNP International Graduate — recent graduates with a Post-Graduation Work Permit and a full-time job offer of at least one year's duration in a TEER 0-3 or in-demand TEER 4 occupation.
4. International Entrepreneur — for experienced business owners or senior managers establishing or purchasing a business in the province. Ages 21-59; net worth ≥ CAD $600,000; minimum 2 years business ownership (≥ 25%) in the last 5 years OR ≥ 5 years senior-business-management role in the last 10 years; minimum CLB 5; exploratory visit required if outside the province.
5. International Graduate Entrepreneur — for graduates of Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic who completed a degree / diploma after at least two years of full-time, in-person study within two years of submitting an Expression of Interest.

Priority is given to applicants supporting regional economic development or investing in high-demand industries such as Agriculture, Aquaculture, Technology, and Natural Resources.

The NTNP helps employers recruit and retain foreign workers when no qualified Canadians or permanent residents are available. The Government of the Northwest Territories nominates applicants; the Government of Canada makes the final permanent-residence decision.

• Employer-Driven Stream — allows employers to hire and nominate essential and skilled foreign workers when no Canadians or PRs are available.
• Business Stream — for foreign nationals starting or buying a business in the NWT.
• Francophone Stream — for bilingual (French and English) foreign nationals with a valid job offer from an NWT employer. Open to all NOC TEER categories (0-5); requires CLB Level 5 in French and English.

Through the NSNP, prospective immigrants whose skills and experience match Nova Scotia's needs may be nominated to immigrate. Active streams include:

• Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities — selects Express Entry candidates with a Letter of Interest who apply within 30 days, meet Express Entry work-experience requirements and demonstrate sufficient settlement funds.
• Physician Stream — recruits general practitioners, family physicians and specialists for Nova Scotia health authorities. Requires an approved job offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the IWK Health Centre.
• Labour Market Priorities — Physicians — for physicians with an approved job offer who receive a Letter of Interest in the federal Express Entry system.
• Entrepreneur — and a graduate-entrepreneur path for recent graduates of a Nova Scotia university or community college who have started or bought a business and operated it for at least one year.
• Critical Construction Worker Pilot — for individuals with a permanent, full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia construction-sector (NAICS 23) employer in an approved NOC occupation.

The OINP nominates individuals for permanent residence whose skills and experience match Ontario's economy. Final approval rests with IRCC.

Ontario Express Entry streams — for skilled workers seeking permanent residence through the federal Express Entry system.

Ontario Expression of Interest streams — including the International Student stream, which allows international students with a job offer in a TEER 0/1/2/3 occupation to apply for permanent residence; work experience is not required.

Master's and PhD Graduate streams — for international graduates from eligible Ontario universities holding a master's or PhD degree.

Note: as of November 4, 2024, the OINP officially closed its Entrepreneur Stream.

The PEI PNP nominates individuals based on their intent to live and work in the province and their economic ability to establish there. Priority is currently given to entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, and skilled workers in priority occupations.

The SINP nominates individuals with skills and experience in high-demand Saskatchewan occupations. Three main categories with multiple sub-categories:

1. International Skilled Worker — for skilled workers living abroad. Sub-categories include:

• Employment Offer — for skilled workers with a job offer in Saskatchewan. Applicant must live outside Canada or hold legal status in Canada (not as a refugee claimant).
• Occupation In-Demand — for skilled workers without a job offer who possess in-demand skills.
• Saskatchewan Express Entry — for candidates in the federal Express Entry pool with experience in priority occupations.
• Agricultural Worker — for agricultural workers with an SINP-approved job offer.
• Health Professionals — for healthcare professionals with a job offer.

2. Saskatchewan Work Experience — for individuals already working in Saskatchewan on a temporary work permit.

3. Entrepreneur and Farm — for foreign nationals starting, acquiring or partnering in a Saskatchewan business while actively managing it. The process involves an Expression of Interest, ranking-based invitation, business establishment, and provincial nomination upon meeting the requirements. The Graduate Entrepreneur sub-category is designed for international students who graduated from a Saskatchewan institution.

The Yukon Nominee Program selects foreign workers and entrepreneurs with the skills and experience needed to fill labour-market gaps in the Yukon. Final permanent-residence approval is granted by IRCC.

Nunavut does not currently operate a provincial nominee program. Candidates wishing to settle in Nunavut typically use other federal pathways such as Express Entry or family-class sponsorship.

With 37 years of Canadian-immigration practice, Mercan's RCIC team has filed PNP applications across most active provinces. Our typical engagement covers:

• Eligibility assessment across Express Entry and PNP streams to identify the strongest match.
• Profile preparation and Expression of Interest submission to the relevant province.
• Coordination with employers on job-offer support letters, LMIA exemptions, and provincial endorsements.
• Federal permanent-residence application to IRCC after a successful nomination.