Five provinces – Ontario, British Columbia (BC), Quebec, Alberta and Prince Edward Island (PEI) – have issued invitations for newcomers to come to Canada through provincial nomination programs this week.
All provinces and territories in Canada, except Nunavut and Quebec, select candidates through their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
Quebec is Canada’s only French-majority province and does not operate a PNP because its government seeks to maintain a greater level of control over economic immigration within the province. For this reason, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the province of Quebec have a unique immigration agreement in place.
The provincial and territorial governments in 11 Canadian provinces and territories operate PNPs to bring in skilled immigrants that local governments believe are best suited to address the labour market and demographic needs of their region.
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Provincial immigration results from March 16 to March 22
Ontario
Ontario has held three draws through its Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) between March 16 and March 22.
In the first draw, on March 19, the Ontario government issued invitations through its Masters Graduates stream. This draw saw 1,370 invitations to candidates in this stream with a score of 52 and above.
In a separate draw also on March 19, the OINP issued 104 invitations to candidates in its PhD Graduates stream with a score of 42 or more.
Note: Both streams that issued invitations on March 19 invited candidates in a general draw that considered all occupations.
The OINP also issued 2,281 Notifications of Interest (NOIs) on March 21 to candidates who qualified for the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream. This draw was targeted to candidates who had work experience in specific tech occupations. Candidates who received a NOI during this draw all had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in the range of 468 and 480.
British Columbia
British Columbia conducted two provincial immigration draws on March 19, 2024.
In the first British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) draw, 88 total invitations were issued in a general draw that considered candidates from the following five streams:
- Skilled Worker
- Skilled Worker – EEBC option
- International Graduate
- International Graduate – EEBC option
- Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
For all streams except the Entry Level ad Semi-Skilled candidate group (minimum score of 98), candidates required a minimum score of 125 to receive an invitation during this draw.
There were four additional draws that considered candidates from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams (including Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option). This draw saw candidates from four different occupational categories receive invitations. Those numbers broke down as follows:
- 27 invitations were issued to candidates in childcare occupations
- 21 invitations were issued to candidates in construction occupations
- 30 invitations were issued to candidates in healthcare occupations
- Less than five invitations were issued to candidates in veterinary care occupations
For all occupational categories above excluding construction (minimum score of 85), the minimum score required of candidates who received a BCPNP invitation during this draw was 80.
Quebec
Quebec has recently released the results of a provincial immigration draw* that took place on March 7, 2024. This draw saw 1,136 people receive invitations from the Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration to apply for permanent selection.
Note: Quebec posts the results of these draws retroactively. This round of invitations from Quebec’s Arrima bank took place on March 4, 2024
Candidates were required to meet all of the following criteria:
- Possess a level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (Québec’s scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or its equivalent
- Hold a valid job offer outside the territory of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal
- Have a score of 603 points or higher
Next Steps: Quebec immigration candidates who received an invitation through this provincial immigration draw can now apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate. Immigration candidates intending to settle in Quebec must obtain this certificate before applying for Canadian permanent residence with IRCC.
Alberta
Alberta has recently released the results of two draws conducted through its Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), the first on February 20 and the second on March 5.
Note: Alberta posts the results of its provincial immigration draws retroactively.
During the draw on February 20, the provincial government sent 33 Notification of Interest (NOI) letters to candidates who were eligible for its “dedicated healthcare pathway with Alberta job offer” category and had a minimum CRS score of 311.
Then, on March 5, Alberta sent 34 more Notification of Interest letters through the AAIP to candidates from the same group as the February 20 draw. This time, the minimum CRS score of all candidates who received an invitation was 303.
Prince Edward Island
On March 21, the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) issued 83 invitations to candidates working in three employment sectors: healthcare, manufacturing and construction.
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