Looking For A Job In Canada? Consider A Provincial Immigration Program (PNP)

Candidates who do not have the required Comprehensive Ranking System scores to qualify through the federal Express Entry system should consider turning to provincial nominee programs (PNPs).

CRS scores have dropped from 557 to 516 since the return of federal Express Entry draws in July. This leaves thousands with scores below 500 unsure whether or when they will receive an Invitation to Apply.

However, they may qualify through one of Canada’s provincial programs, which target specific National Occupation Classification codes, or specific industries.

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

For example, the most recent Express Entry-focused draw through the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) featured a minimum CRS of 473, and the one before that 306, much lower than the latest federal draw minimum.

Read on to find out about immigration options for skilled workers in each of Canada’s provinces, as well as the opportunities offered through the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.

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British Columbia

British Columbia immigration publishes a regularly updated list of target occupations for the skilled worker streams of the British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program.

It lists 105 jobs with National Occupational Classifications in five categories, depending on the education and experience required. There is a separate category for healthcare positions.

BC also targets 29 specific technology occupations through the BC PNP Tech Pilot. The Tech Pilot offers priority processing under existing BC PNP streams for qualified candidates.

Finally, the province operates two streams specifically aimed at Healthcare Professionals, one through Express Entry and the other on a direct provincial basis.

Alberta

Alberta has a list of 35 ineligible occupations for the two skilled worker streams of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program: Alberta Opportunity and Alberta Express Entry.

Provided your occupation is not on that list, you could qualify for Alberta immigration.

For Alberta Express Entry, regular draws are conducted with low minimum Comprehensive Ranking System scores. Recent Alberta draws have seen minimum CRS scores of 306 and 382, significantly lower than federal draws.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan immigration has a number of streams targeting skilled workers.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program has more than 200 occupations eligible for Saskatchewan immigration, with select NOC numbers featured in each draw.

Saskatchewan operates an Expression of Interest system for its two main streams: Occupations In-Demand and Saskatchewan Express Entry.

It also operates specific streams for long-haul truck drivers, hospitality sector workers and semi-skilled agriculture workers.

Manitoba

Manitoba immigration publishes an extensive list of targeted occupations in six different categories:

1. Business, Finance and Administration
2. Natural and Applied Sciences and Related
3. Health
4. Social Science, Education, Government Service and Religion
5. Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
6. Unique to Primary Industry

Candidates with expertise in one of the listed occupations stand a good chance of qualifying for permanent residence through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

The province operates streams for Skilled Workers In Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas.

Candidates with a full-time job offer can qualify for the Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway of the Skilled Workers In Manitoba even if their occupation is not on the in-demand list.

Ontario

Ontario immigration is calling for a significant expansion of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program over the next two years.

It currently operates Express Entry-linked streams for Human Capital Priorities, French Speaking Skilled Workers and Skilled Trades.

The HCP stream is open to candidates with experience at National Occupational Classification level 0, A or B.

The OINP also conducts Tech Draws through the HCP, targeting a further six specific occupations.

Outside Express Entry, Ontario’s Employer Job Offer stream targets candidates with a full-time offer of employment in Ontario.

Within the Employer Job Offer stream, the In-Demand Skills sub-category currently targets 10 specific occupations, with the province proposing to add several manufacturing occupations to the list later in 2020.

Quebec

Quebec operates its own skilled worker immigration system, issuing invitations under its Expression of Interest system, named Arrima.

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program has both a High Demand Occupation List and an Areas of Training List.

The list of occupations provides applicants from outside Canada the best chances to qualify under Quebec rules.

Another program is available for those candidates who are already living and working or studying in Quebec called Quebec Experience Program – PEQ. 

Eligible candidates can apply for a CSQ under an accelerated process. Two streams are available: Quebec Graduate and Temporary Foreign Worker.

New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program’s Express Entry stream requires candidates to meet one of the following requirements:

1. Be living in New Brunswick and working paid, full-time employment from a New Brunswick company in an occupation listed as skill type 0 or skill level A or B of the NOC.
2. Have an offer of continuous, paid, full-time employment from a New Brunswick company in an occupation listed as NOC 0, A or B.
3. Have been selected by New Brunswick from the Express Entry pool in response to provincial labour market needs.

Separately, the New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream requires an offer of permanent employment in an eligible occupation, namely:

• High-skilled workers: NOC 0, A, B.
• Semi-skilled workers: NOC C. 
• Low-skilled workers: NOC D skill type 7, 8 and 9.

Candidates score more points if their job offer is in a priority sector:

1. Business service centres
2. Education
3. Health care
4. Manufacturing
5. Transportation

Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program operates seven streams aimed at different categories of skilled worker.

1. Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
2. Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
3. Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities: Express Entry
4. Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities For Physicians: Express Entry
5. Skilled Worker
6. Physician
7. Occupations In Demand

Under Nova Scotia Demand, the province publishes a list of 11 targeted occupations for which candidates do not need a job offer. The target occupations do not apply to those with a job offer.

Nova Scotia Experience requires candidates to have at least one year of experience in the province.

Through Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities, the province targets specific occupations with periodic draws tapping the Express Entry pool. The most recent occupation to be targeted was NOC 3012 for registered nurses or registered psychiatric nurses.

The province’s two streams for physicians are aimed at tackling the shortage of doctors in the province, while Occupations In-Demand tackles specific shortages of skilled workers. It is currently focused on nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413) and transport truck drivers (NOC 7511).

Prince Edward Island

The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program operates an Expression of Interest system for its skilled worker categories.

The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without.

PEI’s Labour Impact Skilled Worker Category requires candidates to have a job offer in an occupation classified as skill level “0”, “A” or “B” of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

The Labour Impact Critical Worker Category is open to foreign workers already in PEI with employment in specific critical-demand occupations. They are:

• Truck driver;
• Customer service representative;
• Labourer;
• Food & beverage server;
• Housekeeping attendant.

Newfoundland & Labrador

The Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Nominee Program has two skilled worker streams, both of which require a job offer.

The Express Entry Skilled Worker category requires a high-skilled job offer from an eligible Newfoundland & Labrador employer for at least two years with the possibility of extension.

Under the direct provincial Skilled Worker category, candidates must have a guaranteed offer of employment or be already working in the province on a valid Work Permit.

Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program operates as a partnership between Canada’s federal government and the four provinces in the region:

1. New Brunswick,
2. Nova Scotia,
3. Prince Edward Island,
4. Newfoundland & Labrador.

It is an employer-led pilot that aims to bring candidates to the region to fill positions for which Canadian citizens and permanent residents are not available.

To hire through the AIP, employers do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Instead, they must meet requirements to become designated to make job offers.

The AIP has categories for high-skilled and intermediate-skilled workers, plus international graduates.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is designed to help bring new skilled worker immigrants to smaller communities.

The five-year federal immigration pilot is designed to help smaller communities with aging populations and labour shortages, which struggle to attract and retain new immigrants. Candidates must have a job offer from an employer in one of the communities.

IRCC recently announced it would be expanding the pilot.

RNIP Participating Communities