This week, three Canadian provinces announced the details about the provincial nomination programs or PNP. Here’s the overview of recent PNP draw results and updates. 

Two provinces, including British Columbia and Saskatchewan, held their provincial nomination draw, whereas Alberta announced valuable updates regarding its PNP. 

BC, Saskatchewan, and Albeta’s Recent PNP Draw Results and Updates  

Discover how many candidates the provinces nominated, from which streams and their CRS score, and the important details on Alberta’s PNP.

British Columbia

British Columbia held three targeted draws under its PNP called the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). The province targeted candidates from its Skilled Worker International Graduate Stream, including the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option. 

In its first draw, BC invited 104 candidates with professional Tech Occupations experience. The minimum CRS score candidates needed to be eligible for this draw was 94. 

BC’s second draw considered 61 candidates working in the Childcare professions, particularly Early childhood educators and assistants. The minimum required score for this draw was 60.

In its third draw, BC issued 25 invitations to candidates who had experience in Healthcare professions. To be considered, candidates needed a minimum score of 60.

The province of British Columbia has conducted draws throughout this year. Similar to other Canadian provinces, BC has held draws targeting specific occupations. Candidates who have experience in these specific occupations are preferred when issuing the ITAs during the draws. This is because both federal and provincial governments are considering the high-demand occupations under the Express Entry Category-based selections as well as in PNPs.  

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan held two PNP draws under this PNP called the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). The province held these draws on October 23. The first draw targeted candidates from the Occupations-In-Demand stream. In this draw, 40 candidates who had a minimum score of 84 were invited to apply for Canadian PR.

Saskatchewan’s second draw targeted candidates who had a minimum score of 84. This draw invited 59 candidates from the Express Entry-aligned stream. In both streams, candidates had educational credential assessments (ECA).

In a recent announcement, Saskatchewan revealed that it is planning to expand the eligibility for candidates for the Existing Work Permit stream. This would be especially true for the intermediate and lower-skilled positions. 

As per this modification, workers in more than 270 new professions will be eligible to apply for permanent residency to settle in Saskatchewan.

Alberta

In the recent PNP draw results and updates, Alberta announced the immigration update in which it invited candidates throughout the year under its PNP called the Atlantic Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). 

The province invited a total of 9200 candidates through the AAIP until November 7, 2023. Alberta’s annual allocation under this program for this year is 9,750, which it expects to complete by the end of this year. 

Notably, over half of this total allocation is specifically for non-express Entry streams. The remaining portion is distributed among the Express Entry stream and other streams. 

According to the provincial government, it has shifted the available spots in the lower demand streams to increase the vacancies in two specific streams, i.e., the Alberta Opportunity Stream and Rural Renewal Stream.

Alberta is one of the quickest-growing provinces in Canada, with a thriving population. Also, compared to the rest of Canada, Alberta has a robust economy and lower tax rates.

Currently, Alberta is hoping to welcome more than 10,000 immigrants each year in 2024 and 2025. 

The Rising Significance of Provincial Nominee Program

In Canada, the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) is operated to spread 

immigration benefits throughout the country. PNP was started in 1998 and is now projected to become the leading economic immigration pathway for newcomers by 2025. It has previously taken a backseat to other economic programs in the country, which is now growing in popularity. 

PNP’s growing importance suggests that IRCC aims to direct more immigration to places where there is a greater demand for newcomers.

Since the provincial programs have gained more popularity these days in Canada’s immigration efforts, new immigrants to Canada may consider both federal and provincial pathways to immigrate to Canada.