Many foreign nationals do not know that there is another significant route open for anyone to apply for a Canada permanent residency card/visa. The most common and sought-after immigration program is the federal Express Entry system, which has about 236,909 profiles (higher competition), and the most current CRS cut-off mark for the Canadian experience class is between the number 521 and 542. Applicants who are not able to make through the cut-off marks or do not score high enough to pass above the cut-off mark for other programs can easily apply for a provincial nominee program to get a Canadian permanent resident (PR) card now. In this article, we will analyze and give details on:
- The eligibility criteria and requirements of the provincial nominee program
- How to get a Canadian permanent resident card/visa via a provincial nominee program in Canada
- Top Requirements for applicants to be considered for provincial nomination.
How does it work?
A Canadian permanent resident card can be given to any foreign nationals after his/her application to any of the Canadian immigration programs, i.e, Express Entry programs. But the system is always complex and crowded. If you are considering a provincial nominee program as your entry point, then you should know that the application process is a two-step process. The first step is obtaining a provincial nomination from the Canadian province. If this was successful, you can now proceed to apply for a Canadian permanent resident card on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
How to get a provincial nomination in Canada
In Canada, there are over eighty (80) provincial nomination program streams. To get a provincial nomination, you must meet the eligibility criteria and requirements for any of the provincial nomination programs (PNP) streams. Fundamentally, you would have done your research about the program streams and reviewed all the requirements for each stream. But how do the Canadian provinces consider an applicant’s interest? The consideration procedures for any PNP streams are:
1. Base Provincial nominee program- Direct application
This is the submission of an application to the province without an intermediary i.e directly to the province and if your application is successful, you will receive a notification for confirmation of nomination.
2. Base Provincial nominee program – Expression of Interest pool
This involves submitting an expression of interest on the specific province website/portal for nomination. If you were selected from the pool of interest, you will receive a confirmation message.
3. Enhanced Provincial nominee program – Passive
This is when your nomination application is considered based on your federal Express Entry system profile. And another condition is that you must have chosen the province on your profile. If your application is successful, you will receive a notification for nomination approval.
4. Enhanced Provincial nominee program Active (Direct application)
This involves having the federal Express Entry profile and also submitting your profile directly on the province’s website to be considered for nomination.
5. Enhanced Provincial nominee program-Active (Express of Interest pool)
In this category, you must submit an expression of interest on the province’s website and have a federal Express Entry system profile before being considered for nomination.
Canada Work Visa Made easy: The Application Process
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria and requirements for the provincial nominee program (PNP) depend on the stream of application, i.e, base or enhanced PNP. However, the criteria for both and enhanced stream are:
General requirements
- Age: There is no age restriction for provincial nominee programs but people within the age group 18-29 tend to receive more points than outside the age group.
- Education: Having an advanced education certificate like Bachelor’s/master’s degree will increase the points you can accumulate with the CRS (Comprehensive ranking system).
- Job offer: Having a job offer from a Canadian employer will increase your points on the CRS scale.
- Language proficiency: You must be able to prove your proficiency in either English or French via any of the language tests like IELTS, TEF, CELPIP, etc.
- Work experience: Canadian work experience is preferable to other work experience because it will earn you more points.
Additional Requirements
Enhanced Streams requirements
- To qualify for an enhanced province nominee program stream, you must have the following:;
- An active federal express entry account (must be qualified to apply for Canadian experience, federal skilled worker program, federal skilled trades program.
- You must be financially capable of taking care of your needs and family members.
- Canadian Immigration Lawyer For Family Lawyer & Spousal Visa Sponsorship
Based on Streams requirements
- This stream is managed by the Canadian province, which means no special requirements are needed.
- But you will need education credentials, language proficiency test results, and others.
How to Apply for Provincial Nomination in Canada
As mentioned above, you can get nominated by a Canadian province by applying directly via the province’s online system (i.e, their portal) or create a federal Express Entry profile to express your interest. Below are the step-by-step guidelines to apply for provincial nomination in Canada:
STEP 1: SELECT A PROVINCE IN THE COUNTRY
- When you are considering the province you want to move in, you must check your skills, experience, and also the goals/mission of the province if they align with each other.
- If you are applying for any Canada province, you must ensure to understand the province eligibility criteria and requirements.
STEP 2: CHECK YOUR ELIGIBILITY
The most important requirements for the provincial nominee program are:
- Education: If you have a Bachelor’s degree, high school diploma, or any education certificate, it will earn you more points in the CRS system.
- Language proficiency: You must be able to prove that you can speak either English or French fluently.
- Work experience: You must have good working experience in your field.
STEP 3: CREATE AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
- Whether you are applying via the IRCC website or the province website, you must submit an expression of interest to be considered for nomination by the province.
- Make sure to submit all the requested documents, like your education credentials, etc.
STEP 4: APPLYING FOR NOMINATION
- When your expression of interest is approved, you will receive a notification to apply for the provincial nomination.
- You must also submit all the documents required to complement your application.
STEP 5: THE PROCESSING TIMES
- The processing time for a provincial nominee program depends on the province and the stream of application.
STEP 6: APPLICATION APPROVAL
- You will receive approval for your nomination if your application is selected and granted.
- And after confirmation of nomination, you can now proceed to apply for your permanent residence.
- Fruit Picker’s Job in Canada – Here’s All You Need to know to Get Startled
Step-by-Step Guidelines to Apply for a Permanent Resident Through the Canada Provincial Nominee Program
Below are the step-by-step guidelines when you are applying for permanent residence after confirmation of permanent residence:
STEP 1: COLLATE ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
- Including all the general documents requested, like education credentials, language proficiency certificate, you will submit:
- Nomination certificate: This is the certificate of nomination obtained from the Canadian province.
- Identity documents: These include a valid ID, passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.
STEP 2: CREATING AN EXPRESS ENTRY ACCOUNT
- To apply for a permanent resident visa, you must create an Express Entry account to begin your application process.
- To create an express profile, you can visit the IRCC (Immigration, Refugee Citizenship Canada) website).
STEP 3: APPLYING FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE
- You can start your application immediately after successful creation of your profile.
- You can download your application form on the IRCC website.
STEP 4: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
- You can submit your application through the website or by mail for a paper application.
- You can now upload all the requested documents like nomination certificate, language proficiency exam results, education credentials, etc.
STEP 5: PAY THE APPLICATION FEE
- You will pay the application fee for your visa and your family’s too. This fee will be used to process your application for review and screening.
- Aside from the application fee, you will pay a biometric fee.
- Canada Quebec Immigration Are Open for all Workers Around the World
STEP 5: MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE
- You may be asked to undergo a medical examination at a reputable hospital to prove that you are healthy and free from any health conditions.
- You may have to get a police clearance report or certificate from your home country to prove your innocence.
- You will also have to upload all the certificates, i.e, medical exam certificate and police clearance report.
STEP 6: THE PROCESSING TIMES
- The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) will review and scrutinize your application.
- The processing time will take a few days or weeks to approve or reject.
STEP 7: APPLICATION APPROVAL
- If your application is successful, you will receive a notification for application approval.
- You will receive a permanent resident visa or a permanent residence confirmation message.
Entry-Level Jobs are Available in Canada
Conclusion
Only a few people know that the provincial nominee program is a proven way to get a Canadian permanent residence card. There are more chances and opportunities in Canada to benefit from a high-paying salary, flexible working hours, free medical/health services, etc. Every foreign national wishes to move to the country because of its unlimited opportunities and benefits. Many chose the Express Entry system as a way to get their permanent resident visa, but a provincial nominee program will make the application process easier and increase applicants’ chances of success.