In the past two weeks, provinces have invited people to immigrate through their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): Ontario, British Columbia (B.C.), Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Manitoba. Quebec also released the results of two rounds of invitations it had sent out through its provincial immigration system since February 17.
Local governments run PNPs in all but two of Canada’s provinces and territories* in an effort to draw in foreign people who are most qualified to assist their area in meeting the demands of its labor force and demography.
Results of provincial immigration in Ontario from February 17 to March 1
Candidates who met the requirements for the province’s PNP’s Skilled Trades stream were sent 2,583 Notifications of Interest (NOIs) by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) on March 1. The stream’s name implies that candidates in particular skilled trade occupations are the focus of Ontario’s March 1 draw. In Ontario’s March 1 draw, every candidate who was granted a notice of intent (NOI) had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 350 and 424.
British Columbia:
Since February 16, 2024, British Columbia has held a number of provincial immigration draws.
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held two draws on February 21st, one for general nomination and another for a series of draws for various occupational categories under its Skilled Worker, International Graduate stream (which includes the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option). The following are the outcomes of the February 21 BCPNP draws:
General Draw:
69 invites were sent out in all during the general draw held on February 21 by the BCPNP. Invitations were distributed amongst candidates from the following five streams during this draw. The minimum score needed was 126 for all but one of the streams below (“Entry Level and Semi-Skilled” candidates). A minimum score of 99 was necessary for BCPNP candidates who qualified for the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream and were invited to province.
Expert Laborer
Option for Skilled Worker in EEBC
International Graduate EEBC option for international graduates
International Graduate Stream Draw for Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Workers
B.C. sent out 143 invites through its PNP in addition to the invites sent out in the public draw mentioned above. The invites were as follows:
Candidates for childcare occupations received 70 invitations (60)
Candidates for construction occupations received 32 invitations out of a total of 75.
Candidates for healthcare occupations received 41 invitations out of 60.
Candidates for the veterinary care occupation received fewer than five invitations (60).
Note: The minimum score needed for candidates within an occupational group is shown by the numbers in brackets above.
February 27 Drawing:
Invitations were sent out by the BCPNP on February 27th as part of a second draw for applicants from its Skilled Worker: International Graduate Stream (which includes the EEBC option). These outcomes came from this draw:
Candidates with a minimum score of 65 in childcare vocations received 45 invites.
Candidates with a minimum score of 80 in construction vocations received 12 invitations.
Candidates with a minimum score of 65 in healthcare jobs received 41 invites.
Candidates in “tech” vocations with a minimum score of 108 received 90 invites.
Candidates with a minimum score of 65 in veterinary care vocations received fewer than five invites.
Quebec:
The results of two lotteries held under its provincial immigration program—one on February 8 and another on February 22—have been made public by Quebec. Each of these draws attracted a different set of candidates according to distinct eligibility requirements, as detailed below.
It’s crucial to remember that Quebec doesn’t have a PNP. This is so that the local government can continue to have authority over economic immigration in the area thanks to a special agreement the province has with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
February 8:
On February 5, the Minister of Immigration, Francization, and Integration invited 1,034 applicants to apply for permanent selection. On February 8, Quebec announced the results of a draw.
Candidates had to fulfill three requirements in order to be invited during this draw:
possess the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français*, or its equivalent, at least a level 7 oral proficiency in French.
possessing a legitimate employment offer from anywhere outside the boundaries of Montréal’s metropolitan area
possess a score of at least 613 points *.The French proficiency levels for adult immigrants in Quebec are based on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français.
February 22:
Quebec announced the results of its draw on February 22nd, following the draw on February 8th. Another 1,007 individuals were asked to apply for permanent selection in this draw, which made use of invitations that were taken out on February 19.
For this applicant group to be taken into consideration, they needed to fulfill the following qualifying requirements in addition to a minimum score of 608:
possessing the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (Québec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or its equivalent, which indicates oral fluency in French at level 7 (or higher).
possessing a legitimate employment offer from anywhere outside the boundaries of Montréal’s metropolitan area
A Quebec Selection Certificate can then be applied for by those who were invited through one of these Quebec draws. Candidates for immigration to Quebec must complete this stage before submitting an application to the IRCC for permanent status.
Manitoba:
New PNP draw results were released by Manitoba on February 28, in line with the province’s particular immigration policies for Ukraine.
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) sent out 155 Letters of Advice to Apply under this special immigration measure to qualified candidates “in line with IRCC’s special immigration measures for those affected and as part of the Manitoba government’s response to the situation in Ukraine.”
Island of Prince Edward
The PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) sent out 24 invitations to candidates on February 29 for positions in the construction and healthcare industries. This was the province’s smallest PNP draw (in terms of the quantity of Labour and Express Entry invitations sent out) since October 2023. This is the first time that Prince Edward Island has performed three PNP draws in one month since November of last year.