If you want to immigrate to Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), a Canadian province or territory has to nominate you.

The first thing you need to do is apply to the PNP in the province or territory where you want to settle. To qualify, you must have the skills, education and work experience you will need to settle in Canada and support yourself and your family.

The province or territory will assess if you will be able to meet their economic or labour market needs, and those of Canada. They can tell you how long it will take to process your application.

After the province or territory approves your application, your next step is to apply for permanent residence within the time period they set out. The province or territory will let you know whether you must apply through the Express Entry system or through regular application process:

Nomination under an Express Entry PNP stream: If you are not already in the Express Entry pool, you will need to complete an Express Entry profile and be accepted into the pool. You can begin the process by using our Come to Canada tool.

or

Nomination under a non-Express Entry PNP stream: Permanent resident applicants who were nominated under a non-Express Entry PNP stream should apply for permanent residence using the regular application process

The selection process and conditions to get a Provincial Nominee Certificate may be different from one province to the next. Check their websites to find out what you need to do before you apply.

Note: The province of Quebec chooses its own immigrants. If you want to live there, contact the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion du Québec. This program is for workers who:

have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory want to live in that province, and want to become permanent residents of Canada

Each province and territoryFootnote* has its own “streams” (immigration programs that target certain groups) and requirements. For example, in a program stream, provinces and territories may target:

students
business people
skilled workers
semi-skilled workers
Understand the application options

How you will apply depends on which Provincial Nominee Program stream you’re applying to. You might need to apply using the paper-based process, or by the online process through Express Entry.

As part of the process, you will have to pass a medical exam and get a police check (certificate). Everyone must have these checks, no matter where they plan to live in Canada.

Paper-based process

In the paper-based process:

You apply to the province or territory for nomination under a non-Express Entry stream. You need to meet the eligibility requirements of the province that nominates you. Once you have been nominated, you submit a paper application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

You have to pass a medical exam and get a police check (certificate). Everyone must have these checks, no matter where you plan to live in Canada.

Application processing times are longer than through Express Entry.

How to apply through the paper-based process

Express Entry process

In the online Express Entry process, there are 2 ways to apply:

You contact the province or territory and apply for a nomination under an Express Entry stream.

If the province or territory agrees to nominate you, you create an Express Entry profile (or update your profile if you already have one) and show you have been nominated.
OR
You create an Express Entry profile and show the provinces and territories you’re interested in.

If a province or territory sends you a “notification of interest” to your account, you contact them directly.

You apply to their Express Entry stream:

If you’re nominated, the province will offer it to you through your account, and you accept it electronically.

In both cases:

You must meet the eligibility requirements of the province or territory. And, You must submit an Express Entry profile and show that you meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for one of the immigration programs it covers. If you are invited to apply, you submit an electronic application to IRCC.