Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia issue invitations to apply for provincial nomination

Two provinces' issue ITAs to skilled workers in most recent draws.

Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan issued invitations to apply for skilled worker candidates through their Provincial Nominee Programs this week (PNPs).

With the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, the majority of Canadian provinces and territories operate their own PNPs. Interested candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination through these programmes.

Although provincial nomination is not synonymous with permanent residence, it can serve as the first step toward obtaining permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Quebec’s immigration programs are administered by the province and are distinct from Canada’s immigration programs. Quebec is the only province that has control over all economic class immigrants.

The PNP is responsible for over 105,000 PR admissions to Canada per year. It began in 1998 and has steadily increased the number of PNP admissions each year because the federal and provincial governments consider it an effective tool to promote the economic development of the country outside of the provinces and urban centers with already high immigrant populations.

On November 8, Nova Scotia issued letters of interest to candidates through the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream for the first time since February. Whereas, Saskatchewan issued 35 invitations to apply through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) on November 8.

The province invited 21 candidates from the Express Entry category and 10 from the Occupations-In-Demand category. The minimum Expression of Interest score in both categories was 69. All candidates invited had Educational Credential Assessments.