For economic immigration to Canada, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a well-known and preferred immigration program.  

In the immigration levels plan, Canada’s target is to accept around 117,500 new immigrants annually via the PNP by the conclusion of 2025.  

Notably, Expres Entry candidates will also be included in various entries of the Provincial Nominee Program.  

This year, the Express Entry Program has witnessed significant changes. This most recent change was the introduction of the Category-based selections under Express Entry. This was declared by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on May 31, in which six new attribute-based categories were revealed.  

In this category-based selection, candidates need to fulfill the eligibility requirements of any of the following six categories to be eligible to obtain an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA).  

  • Healthcare 
  • Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions 
  • Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors 
  • Transport 
  • Agriculture and agri-food 
  • Strong French language abilities 

This means that a qualified Express Entry candidate may be able to obtain an Invitation to Apply (ITA) either in a program-specific draw, a category-based draw, or an all-program draw. 

The question arises: Should you accept a provincial nomination via a PNP if you are eligible for the Express Entry?  

The working of the Provincial Nominee Program 

In Canada, every province, as well as territory, employs the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to select potential candidates. The only exception to this is Quebec and Nunavut; both of these do not have the PNP.  

The federal government, via the PNPs, assigns a specific number of nominations to each province that they can utilize to decide the candidates for economic immigration who have the best chance of incorporating into the economy or workforce of the region. The PNP exists because the provincial and federal governments share the immigration responsibilities of the country. 

After receiving and accepting a nomination, aspirants can directly submit a nomination to the province. If their application is accepted, it supports their permanent residence application to the IRCC. 

The candidates can be selected in two ways: the enhanced nomination or the base nomination. When a candidate is chosen from the Express Entry pool, it is termed an enhanced nomination. When they directly submit their nomination application to the province and gain approval, it is called base nomination.  

When a PNP candidate is selected via an enhanced nomination, they obtain an extra 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).  

This practically ensures their selection in the forthcoming Entry Entry draw. 

It’s notable that several PNP streams are identical to the new category-based selection draws of the Express Entry. To illustrate, the province of British Columbia nominates individuals from the healthcare sector and also holds draws for individuals in tech occupations on a regular basis. 

Other provinces also manage specific streams that focus on individuals who either have work experience or are working in an in-demand profession in the regional workforce. 

Why consider Provincial Nomination over EE Category draws, even if you are eligible? 

When assessing a provincial nomination over EE category draws, a provincial nomination can be more beneficial. This is because candidates receive 600 additional CRS points through a PNP nomination. This is more significant even if you are in the Express Entry Pool and are employed in one of the professions under the new categories in Express Entry.  

According to the IRCC’s announcement, the department will not discontinue the all-program draws or the program-specific draws for all three programs, including the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or for the candidates of the PNP with Express entry profiles. 

In reality, since IRCC started the category-based draws in May, a significant number of candidates have obtained ITAs in all-program draws. The primary deciding factor in an all-program is the CRS score of Candidates. This is why having a high CRS score is helpful for candidates. 

This also applies to the Express Entry category-based draws. 

Although these CRS scores are often slightly lower than an all-program draw, attaining more than the minimum score will give you an edge. 

Are there any disadvantages to accepting a provincial nomination? 

Candidates with an exceptionally high CRS score could determine that accepting a provincial nomination might not be most favorable for them. 

This is particularly true, even if you obtain an enhanced nomination, the PNP follows a different process than the Expres Entry. 

If you receive an Express Entry ITA that is not based on PNP, you must submit an application and a fee to IRCC to obtain approval for permanent residency status. The typical application processing service standard is six months or less. 

If you obtained an enhanced nomination, you must first submit an application as well as the applicable fees to the nominating province. In addition, you must also adhere to the application service standard of the province. 

Once your application gets approved, you must apply to the IRCC for permanent residency and pay the applicable fee. The service standard for the application is six months.  

This implies that obtaining an enhanced nomination may lengthen your immigration process as you might need to wait for the decision on your nomination status. Submitting the two applications can be more expensive, depending on the nominating province. However, unlike others, several provinces don’t require an application fee. 

Which stream is most beneficial? 

When evaluating, provincial nomination over EE category draws, your situation is the best determining factor. 

Candidates with a PNP nomination have the best chance to obtain an Invitation to Apply for an Express Entry draw. This also includes category-based draws and helps you gain an extremely favorable CRS score. 

Contrarily, if your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score is already high, and time and money are the major determining factors, Waiting for the IRCC’s invitation under Express Entry will be more beneficial.