Prince Edward Island Opens Express Entry Category For Canadian Immigration

PEI will favour candidates with skills matching provincial labour market needs

The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, commonly known as PEI, has announced that it is aligning a portion of its Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) with the federal Express Entry selection system for Canadian immigration.

The Maritime province, which is the smallest of the Canadian provinces, is the latest to launch an Express Entry stream. Similar streams for the provinces of Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have been featured recently on CICnews.

Candidates who have entered the Express Entry pool and are interested in living and working in Prince Edward Island may also apply directly to the PEI PNP Express Entry Stream, thereby increasing their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

In order to be eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, candidates must be eligible for one of the following federal economic immigration programs:

Upon receipt of a provincial nomination certificate and subsequent invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence, applicants may benefit from processing times of six months or less. The PEI PNP does not guarantee that all profiles submitted to the PEI PNP Express Entry stream will be reviewed or accepted. Only those applicants with skills matching current identified labour needs for the province will be considered, and applicants in the Express Entry pool may apply by completing an application form. No additional criteria has been announced at the time of writing.

By their very nature, however, the Provincial Nominee Programs are subject to change on an ongoing basis, and the PEI PNP is no different. An applicant whose application is not accepted today due to his or her occupation not matching with identified local labour market needs may find that his or her skills will be in demand in the province at a later date.

Individuals in the Express Entry pool may also be able to apply to more than one PNP, while also continuing to promote themselves and their skills to Canadian employers across the country. Once an individual in the Express Entry pool obtains either a nomination from a province or a qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer, he or she will likely be invited to apply for permanent residence when Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) performs the next draw from the Express Entry pool.

“Prince Edward Island represents something unique within Canada. It is province that is known for its outstanding beauty, high standard of living, easy-going attitude, hundreds of beaches, and economic opportunities,” says Attorney David Cohen.

“The province has kept its provincial Express Entry stream quite open for the time being. We will see whether that remains to be the case, but right now I would encourage potential applicants to the PEI PNP to start gathering their documents and ensure that they are all in good order. Once you receive a provincial nomination and the invitation to apply that soon follows, you only have 60 to submit a complete application to the government of Canada.”

Prince Edward Island quick facts:

Capital: Charlottetown

Location: Maritimes / Eastern Canada

Population: 150,000

Languages: English is spoken by the vast majority of PEI residents, though 4 per cent claim French as their mother tongue.

Climate: Warm, but rarely uncomfortably hot, summers. Winters are cold, but not as cold as regions of Central Canada or Quebec. Spring and Autumn are pleasant. Ample precipitation, in the form of rain and snow, falls throughout the year.

Learn more about Prince Edward Island

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including the federal economic programs that will be conducted under Express Entry, please fill our a free online assessment today.