Provincial nomination: Prepare these documents to avoid refusal

Once you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for provincial nomination, you generally have between 20-60 days to submit a complete application to the nominating province—which must include adequate supporting documentation.

Failure to include sufficient documentary evidence proving you meet the eligibility requirements for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream you’ve been invited can result in application refusal and even nomination withdrawal.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

This article will cover what constitutes suitable documentary proof for common PNP eligibility requirements when applying for provincial nomination, including those needed for:

Language proficiency;
Education;
Job offer;
Work experience;
Proof of funds; and
Intent to reside.

Declaring information at the candidate stage

Getting permanent residence (PR) through the PNP requires a foreign national to first receive a provincial nomination.

Most provinces now have an Expression of Interest (EOI) system for candidate selection. Candidates enter an EOI pool, and if selected, are sent an invitation to submit a provincial nomination application to the province.

At the EOI stage, individuals typically just fill out an online form wherein they input information about themselves—such as work experience, language abilities, and education level/location—but they generally don’t need to provide proof yet (with some exceptions like official language test results).

It is following the receipt of an invitation, when submitting an application for provincial nomination, that candidates must provide documentary evidence to

Support the information provided during the EOI stage;
Confirm they indeed meet the eligibility requirements for the stream they’ve been invited under; and
Demonstrate an intent to reside in the nominating province.

If the applicant is successful in obtaining a provincial nomination, they can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for PR, or enter the Express Entry pool and seek an ITA through the system.

Avoiding refusal at the nomination application stage

If, when submitting a provincial nomination, the candidate is unable to provide sufficient supporting information and documentation as required by the province, their application will likely be refused—and without a nomination, they will not be able to settle in Canada through a PNP.

While eligibility requirements vary from stream to stream, below are some general types of requirements candidates must meet and the type of documentation that can be provided to do so to avoid their provincial nomination application getting refused.

It is important to keep in mind that some documents may take more time to gather than others, so taking steps to obtain them before getting invited to apply for provincial nomination can be beneficial. PNPs typically require candidates to submit a complete application within 20 to 60 days of getting invited (province-dependent).

Language proficiency

Valid language test results from an approved language test provider that show you meet the Canadian Language Benchmark for that stream. Acceptable tests can vary from province to province, but typically include:

To be considered valid, test results must be no more than two years old.

If an applicant provides language test results other than those specified above or provides results that are more than two years old, their application will be rejected.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

Education

Most PNP streams have education-based requirements, requiring applicants to have a high school diploma or post-secondary credential to qualify. You can provide the following as proof:

Copies of your credential(s): Degrees, diplomas, or certificates; and
Copies of official academic transcripts.

PNP streams that cater to overseas foreign nationals may require candidates to provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to verify their foreign credential is equivalent to a qualifying Canadian one; these must be from a designated organization, and be no more than five years old at the time you apply.

Note: If you have completed your program, but have yet to receive your credential, some PNPs may accept an official letter of completion from your educational institution as temporary proof.

Inability to present proof of education will result in application refusal. Further, many PNPs specifically seek in-province graduates, rendering anyone with out-of-province/country credentials ineligible for provincial nomination through that stream.

Job offer

Many PNP streams require you to possess a job offer to qualify, oftentimes with the position needing to be under a specific TEER or even National Occupational Classification (NOC) code to be eligible. For job-offer streams, you should include the following in your application:

Signed job offer/employment letter, dated and printed on company letterhead, which includes:
- Your name, the company’s contact information (address, telephone number, email address);
- Details such as job title, main duties of position, wage/salary, hours to be worked per week, work location, start date; and
- Whether the job is permanent/indeterminate, full-time, and non-seasonal (where required).
Signed employment contract, showing the above as well as any benefits, probation/termination clauses, and duration (“or indeterminate).
- This overlaps with the above evidence, but displays the binding terms of employment (and proof of a real, formal arrangement).
- Many PNP streams (not all) require just one of the above, if it contains all required details—but applicants often upload both to avoid a “missing info” request.
Employer support documentation, such as a signed “employer declaration/support form” or authorization forms (allowing the province to verify employment status).
Documentation showing the employer is authentic and actively operating, such as:
- Business registration, business licence(s), CRA/business number, or payroll account info—typically provided by the employer.

If you’ve already started working for the employer (as some PNP streams require), you can provide additional documentation such as recent pay stubs (commonly three months’ worth), T4 slips (if you’ve worked at least one tax year), and bank statements showing payroll deposits.

Work experience

PNP eligibility typically includes meeting work experience criteria for a specific number of years within a recent window—often in a specific TEER, or even NOC code. The following documentation is typically expected for each job being counted:

Dated employer reference letters on company letterhead for each job being counted, which should include:
- Business address, telephone/fax numbers, email, and website addresses;
- The name(s) of supervisors(s) and their signatures;
- Job titles and dates of employment for each position held with the employer;
- Detailed duties and responsibilities for each position held;
- Total annual salary plus benefits; and
- Number of hours worked per week, number of weeks worked per year, and any extended periods of leave.
Copies of work contracts for any work experience included (often optional).
Proof of compensation, which can include copies of:
- Pay slips, pay cheques, or pay statements (often recent, or covering the claimed period);
- Bank statements showing salary deposits;
- Income tax documents; and
- Letters from your employers confirming your annual salary/hourly wage.
Tax statements relevant to any work experience included in the application if you are currently working or have worked in Canada:
- Official T4 statements; and
- Notice of Assessment statements issued by the CRA.
A copy of your resume, clearly outlining current and past work experience (often optional).
- Should include detail your duties and responsibilities for each position held.

Failure to provide sufficient documentation as required for the specific PNP stream under which you are submitting a provincial nomination application will render the application incomplete, and may result in refusal.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

Proof of funds/settlement funds

This is to show you have sufficient and available funds to support yourself when you settle in Canada. Some provinces require you to have a specific amount, while others do not.

While different PNPs may specify different documentation as to this effect, documents typically accepted as proof include:

Official letters from your financial institution(s) with their letterhead, which includes:
- Personal information (name, address, phone number, email address);
- Outstanding debts (such as credit card debts and loans);
- For each current bank and investment account: account numbers, date each account was opened, current balance of each account, and average balance for the past three to six months; and
- Copies of bank statements/certificates of bank deposits (generally three months’ worth) in your name and/or the name of your spouse or common-law partner (if applicable).
Copies of securities and other investments (if applicable).
Proof of real estate ownership, including a property valuation (if applicable).
Proof of other assets owned by the applicant or spouse, including a fair market value assessment, if applicable (personal items such as jewelry, furniture, or vehicles typically do not count).

Further, many provinces may require proof of transferability if there are currency controls in your country of residence.

Inability to provide sufficient proof of finances will deem a candidate ineligible, and thereby result in an application refusal.

Intent to reside

At the application stage, provinces require you to attest to your intention to reside in that province following nomination, typically by signing a declaration of intent.

In addition, a combination of the following can be beneficial in showing intent to reside through ties to the province:

Employment and employability in the province.
- Job offer in that province;
- Employment search details (e.g., applications, interviews, communications with a recruiter, networking efforts, etc.); or
- Evidence you’re pursuing required licensing/registration for that province (e.g., regulator emails and/or exam bookings).
Housing and relocation plans.
- Proof of property ownership, a signed lease, or lease search emails.
- Correspondence with landlords/realtors.
- Shipping quotes for item relocation.
- School/daycare inquires; and/or
- Settlement agency contact.
Ties and community attachment.
- Family/friends in the province (letters + proof of relationship);
- Past visits, prior residence, study, or work in the province; and/or
- Professional associations, religious/community groups, and/or volunteer plans.

Many provinces also want applicants to provide a detailed write-up proving their intention to reside in that province—especially if unable to provide a reasonable combination of the above. For example, Nova Scotia wants to know why you’re choosing to settle there, what it can offer you and your family, and (if currently living elsewhere in Canada) why you would want to relocate.

It’s important to note that if the nominating province finds your proof of intent to reside to be insufficient or believes you have stronger ties to another province and are unlikely to remain long-term, your provincial application will likely be unsuccessful.

Other, miscellaneous

As part of your provincial nomination application, many PNPs also require you to provide evidence of the following—and an inability to do so may result in application delays or refusals:

Notarized translations: All foreign language documents must be accompanied by a notarized translation of the original document in English or French, completed by an official, certified translator.
Police certificate(s): A police certificate for any place you’ve lived for six months or longer during the last 10 years (not needed for periods before you turned 18, or time spent in Canada).
Licensing and accreditation: Where applicable, applicants must provide evidence of required professional licensing or accreditation for regulated occupations or where mandated by the PNP stream or job offer.
- This can include registration letters from regulatory bodies, certificates, or proof of application.
Valid immigration status: Those applying from Canada generally need to provide to documentary evidence of valid temporary resident status, including work authorization (work permit), study authorization (study permit), or visitor visa, and proof of compliance with the conditions attached to that status.
- Some PNP streams require you to be in Canada on a specific permit, or even require that you have a certain number of months left on the permit at the time of application (e.g., Nova Scotia’s International Graduate Category requires a Post-Graduation Work Permit with four months' validity when applying).

Always follow a PNP’s document checklist, typically found in the application guide for the stream you are being considered under, to clarify which documents they expect to be included.

Further, if a PNP finds that a candidate has misrepresented themselves, either directly or indirectly, the application will be refused, the nomination will likely be withdrawn, and more serious consequences may even be imposed—such as a five-year ban from entering Canada. Misrepresentation may include omitting key facts and/or providing information or documentation that is false, altered, incomplete, or misleading.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams