Canada has federal immigration programs, and there are programs through which candidates are selected by the provinces and territories themselves.
This system is called the Provincial Selective Program (PNP).
The meaning is simple:
Each province has its own rules. Therefore, PNP is not one program with the same requirements for all of Canada.
The province can choose the person it needs
Different regions of Canada have different needs.
For example, provinces may need:
These are just examples.
There is no one general rule that applies to all PNPs.
You can't say:
You need to look at the specific province, the specific direction of the program and the current rules as of the date of submission.
This path is only suitable for those who:
If a province selects you and issues a provincial nomination and you accept, Express Entry adds to your CRS:
600 extra points.
After that, you continue to participate in Express Entry and wait for an invitation to apply.
It is not necessary to participate in Express Entry here.
First, you go through a provincial selection process and receive a nomination.
You then submit a separate federal application for permanent residence.
As of September 2026, Immigration Canada (IRCC) is accepting such applications online through the Permanent Residence Application Portal.
If the province has approved you for its program, it issues a nomination.
Essentially this means:
“the province has selected this candidate and is prepared to support his continued immigration application.”
But the final decision on permanent residence is made by the Canadian federal government through the IRCC.
After nomination, federal authorities still check:
Therefore it is important to remember:
nomination is an important step, but not permanent resident status.
For PNP associated with Express Entry, you must qualify for at least one federal program:
If a person doesn't meet any of these, a provincial Express Entry referral alone won't fix it.
The province may consider:
In some programs, the person himself submits an application to the province.
In others, the candidate first registers an expression of interest or participates in the province's own selection system.
And sometimes the province itself finds a suitable profile in Express Entry.
If you pass the selection process, the province confirms your nomination.
As of September 2026, a candidate has 30 calendar days to accept or reject an electronic nomination.
Once a nomination is accepted, the Express Entry system adds 600 points.
After that, you wait for the appropriate round of invitations.
The correct sequence looks like this:
you were selected by the province → you accepted the nomination → received 600 CRS points → received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) → applied for permanent residence.
That is, 600 points cannot be “included in the calculation in advance” if there is no nomination yet.
Phrase:
"I'm planning on PNP so I'll have 600 extra points"
This phrase does not describe the current CRS.
The 600 points only appear after an actual Express Entry nomination has been issued and accepted.
Provinces can browse Express Entry profiles and search for people who match their current interests.
If the province sees a suitable profile, it can send:
notification of interest in your profile (NOI).
In simple words this means:
“Your profile may be a good fit for us, please take a look at our program and see if you can be further selected.”
This does not mean:
Following such notification, a separate provincial procedure usually begins.
If the provincial program is not associated with Express Entry, the path looks different:
There is no step here:
“get 600 CRS points and wait for the Express Entry round.”
This is a different way.
The province and IRCC still have different roles:
Each region has its own programs and directions.
This means that you cannot take Ontario's requirements and apply them to Alberta or Saskatchewan.
Compare provinces using the same criteria, without labels:
Quebec does not participate in the provincial selection program (PNP).
It has its own economic immigration system and its own selection programs.
Nunavut does not participate in the provincial selection program (PNP).
Therefore, there is no separate "Quebec PNP" or "Nunavut PNP".
One of the most frequently asked questions:
“Can I get a PNP without a job offer?”
There is no single answer for all of Canada.
Some programs require:
Other programs may select candidates based on other criteria:
Therefore, a job offer is an important factor, but not a universal requirement for all PNPs.
Depending on the program, a province may look at one or more factors.
Does the region need your specialty now?
What field did you work in and for how long?
What is your English or French and is there a valid official test.
Does a specific program need it?
Some programs target people who are already working there.
Individual regions have destinations for graduates of local educational institutions.
For example:
This is not a formality. The PNP exists precisely so that provinces can attract people to live and work in their regions.
If your CRS isn't enough for the recent federal rounds, provincial programs are really worth checking out.
But the province also selects candidates.
She can:
Therefore the logic is:
“my CRS is low, so PNP will definitely save me”
This logic doesn't work.
A high CRS does not mean that provincial programs are not worth considering.
For example:
But going to PNP just for 600 CRS points without any real intention of living in your chosen province is wrong.
PNP was created for the needs of specific regions.
Therefore, the province may assess:
There is no need to invent a connection with a province that does not exist.
Not just for the sake of the application, but after receiving permanent resident status.
This could immediately open or close some provincial programs.
Provinces regularly link selection to labor market needs.
Language may be a requirement or an advantage.
For example:
After these five questions, it is much clearer which regions are worth checking.
First, determine what types of programs may apply to your situation.
Only there they check:
If the program is associated with Express Entry, federal Express Entry requirements are reviewed separately.
If this is a non-Express Entry route, there will be a separate application to IRCC following nomination.
This review will help you narrow down your choices, but check the provincial website for current requirements.
Nominate → accept nomination → receive 600 CRS points → receive invitation (ITA) → apply for permanent residence.
Nomination → submit federal application for permanent residence → wait for IRCC decision.
In both cases, nomination is an important intermediate step.
Regions have different goals and different requirements.
In fact, these are many separate programs and areas.
No.
No.
These are different stages.
After the nomination, the federal stage remains.
First, the nomination must actually be received and accepted.
This is fundamental for the PNP.
Provincial program rules change quickly.
Your selections remain only on this page and are not sent anywhere.
A separate analysis is especially useful if:
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These are programs through which Canadian provinces and territories can select candidates for immigration based on their needs.
Compare federal and provincial pathways.
See how an accepted nomination impacts CRS.
Analyze federal programs and profile.
Compare PNP with Express Entry selections.
Prepare a statement after the invitation.
Let's look at your profile in simple terms: where are you ready to live, is there a job offer, what is your profession, experience, language and connection with Canada. After this, we will determine the areas that are really worth checking according to the official rules.
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The materials on the site are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute individual immigration advice.
