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Published on 2023-09-09; updated on 2023-09-13
Most immigrants come to Canada through Express Enxtry (EE), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). EE is the federal program for skilled workers, PNP is a provincial program target students, business people, skilled workers, semi-skilled workers (Nunavut does not have a PNP; the federal government has granted the province of Quebec significantly more autonomy in immigration policies and procedures, and Quebec’s immigration programs are often treated separately from other provinces.). AIP is a federal program for immigration to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, or Newfoundland and Labrador. Excluding programs for entrepreneurs or from Quebec, this article lists all the existing skills immigration programs in EE, PNP, and AIP.
| Authority | Category / Stream / Program | Overview | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FederalExpress EntryCompare all Express Entry programs | Canadian Experience Class | The Canadian Experience Class is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience | |
| Federal Skilled Worker | The Federal Skilled Worker Program is for skilled workers who have worked in NOC 1, 2, 3, or 4. | ||
| Federal Skilled Trades | The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled workers based on being qualified in a skilled trade. | ||
| B.C.BC Provincial Nominee Program - BCPNP | Skilled Worker | For workers in a professional, management, technical, trade or other skilled occupation | |
| Health Authority | For physicians, midwives or a nurse practitioners | ||
| Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | For workers in select occupations in the tourism/hospitality, or food processing sectors | ||
| International Graduate | For international graduates with a valid credential from an eligible Canadian university or college within the last three years | ||
| International Post-Graduate | For people retently graduated from an eligible B.C. post-secondary institution with a master’s or doctoral degree, or PhD candidates at a public B.C. post-secondary institution. Do not need a job offer to apply to this stream. | ||
| BC PNP Tech | BC PNP Tech is not a separate stream. It is a series of administrative measures that help skilled tech workers move more quickly and easily through the BC PNP process, including tech-only draws for invitations to apply and a concierge service for employers. | ||
| AlbertaAlberta Advantage Immigration Program - AAIP | Opportunity Stream | For qualified candidates who live and work in Alberta and have a job offer from an Alberta employer | |
| Rural Renewal Stream | For rural communities to recruit and retain foreign nationals to live, work and settle in their communities. Candidates endorsed by the community who meet eligibility requirements either temporary foreign worker or EMPP refugee can apply. | ||
| Express Entry Stream | Persons interested in the Alberta Express Entry Stream must be invited to apply. | ||
| SaskatchewanSaskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program - SINP | International Skilled Worker Category | Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot | For intermediate and low-skilled workers in eligible, high-demand occupations. As of September 2003, example occupations include nurse aides, hotel front desk clerks, etc. |
| Tech Talent Pathway | For high-skilled technology and innovation sector workers.. As of September 2003, example occupations include Data Scientist, Cybersecurity specialists, Web designer, etc. | ||
| Saskatchewan Employment Offer | The applicant will need to score at least 60 points out of 110 points on the point assessment grid. Points are awarded based on the following five factors:
| ||
| Saskatchewan Express Entry | To be eligible, the applicant must be accepted into IRCC's Express Entry pool, and must have filled out an online form to indicate interest in applying to the SINP. The applicant will need to score at least 60 points out of 110 points on the point assessment grid. | ||
| Saskatchewan In-Demand Occupation | For skilled workers who don't have a job offer in Saskatchewan but are highly skilled in an in-demand occupation. The applicant must fill out an online form to indicate interest in applying to the SINP. The applicant will need to score at least 60 points out of 110 points on the point assessment grid. | ||
| Saskatchewan Experience Category | Saskatchewan Students | For students who have graduated from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada. | |
| Saskatchewan Health Professionals | For physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who hold permanent jobs and have been working for at least six months (780) of full-time (30+ hours per week). | ||
| Saskatchewan Existing Work Permit | For skilled workers who have been working in Saskatchewan for at least six months on a valid work permit. | ||
| Semi-skilled Agriculture Worker with Existing Work Permit | For semi-skilled workers who have been working in Saskatchewan for at least six months with a valid work permit. | ||
| Saskatchewan Hospitality Sector Project | For foreign workers who are currently working in Saskatchewan on a temporary work permit. Eligible jobs are Food/Beverage Server (NOC 65200), Food Counter Attendant/Kitchen Helper (NOC 65201), and Housekeeping/Cleaning Staff (NOC 65310). | ||
| Saskatchewan Long-Haul Truck Driver Project | This sub-category allows trucking firms to bring long-haul truck drivers to Saskatchewan. If an approved trucking firm offers permanent employment, the trucker may apply to the SINP for permanent resident status after six months of employment on a temporary foreign work permit. | ||
| ManitobaManitoba Provincial Nominee Program - MPNP | Skilled Worker Stream | Skilled Worker in Manitoba | The applicant must demonstrate ongoing Manitoba employment as your established connection to Manitoba.
Unlike the Skilled Worker Overseas pathway, Skilled Worker in Manitoba pathway is not subject to a points-based assessment. |
| Skilled Worker Overseas | The applicant must demonstrate an established connection to Manitoba through either
In addition, the applicant must score at least 60 points based on five factors: language proficiency, age, work experience, education, and adaptability. | ||
| International Education Stream | Career Employment Pathway | This pathway provides faster nomination pathways for post-secondary students who graduate and find long-term employment in Manitoba in an in-demand occupation consistent with their training. | |
| Graduate Internship Pathway | This pathway provides faster nomination pathways for international student master and doctoral graduates through internships contributing to industry innovation in Manitoba. Graduates who complete an Accelerate or Elevate internship with Mitacs in Manitoba can apply to the MPNP immediately after graduation, whether or not they have a job offer. | ||
| OntarioOntario Immigrant Nominee Program - OINP | Employer Job offerthrough the OINP’s Expression of Interest System | Foreign Worker stream | For oreign workers with a job offer in a skilled occupation at TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3. This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada. |
| International Student stream | For international students with a job offer in a skilled occupation at TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3. This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada. | ||
| In-Demand Skills stream | For foreign workers with a job offer in specific in-demand occupations such as in agriculture, construction, and other select occupations. This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada. | ||
| Graduate Degreethrough the OINP’s Expression of Interest System | Masters Graduate stream | For international graduates with an Ontario masters. | |
| PhD Graduate stream | For international graduates with an Ontario PhD degree | ||
| Skills and experiencethrough the federal government’s Express Entry System | Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream | The applicant must decide which of the following two federal programs they would like to be assessed against:
| |
| Express Entry Skilled Trades stream | For foreign nationals with Ontario work experience in eligible skilled trades. | ||
| Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream | The French-speaking applicant must decide which of the following two federal programs they would like to be assessed against:
| ||
| Atlantic ProvincesAtlantic Immigration Program | recent graduates of a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada | The applicant must have a degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship certification that took at least 2 years of studies and is from an Atlantic DLI. | |
| skilled workers | In the last 5 years, the applicant must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is the number of hours you would have worked in 1 year if you were working 30 hours per week. | ||
| New BrunswickNew Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program - NBPNP | NB Skilled Worker Stream | (2023) Focus on
| |
| NB Express Entry Stream | Connects to the federal Express Entry system. | ||
| NB Strategic Initiative Stream for French-speaking immigrants | no new Invitations to Apply (ITAs) will be issued as of September 2023 | ||
| NB Critical Worker Pilot | through the participant employer. The program does not accept direct applications from interested candidates. | ||
| New Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program | Is for international graduates. The objective of the pilot is to make available an immigration pathway to international graduates from select one-year and two-year programs of study (from specific private career colleges in New Brunswick, that are not eligible for the federal Post-graduation Work Permit program) that lead to careers in priority occupations in Education and Social Development, in Health, in IT and Cybersecurity, in Business Administration, and in Supply Chain and Logistics. | ||
| Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program - PEI PNP | Critical Workers | ||
| Intermediate Experience Stream | For full-time workers in PEI. | ||
| International Graduates | For filling intermediate-skilled positions. | ||
| Occupations in Demand | For persons who graduated from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution. | ||
| PEI Express Entry | Connects to the federal EE. | ||
| Skilled Workers in PEI | For persons who have full-time, permanent job offers in a high skilled occupation in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. | ||
| Skilled Workers Outside Canada | For persons outside of Canada who have full-time, permanent job offers in a high skilled occupation in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. With approval, a work permit support letter would be provided for the applicant to seek a work permit. | ||
| Nova ScotiaNova Scotia Nominee Program - NSNP | Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities | This stream selects candidates in the federal Express Entry system who meet provincial labour market needs to apply for nomination. Only candidates who receive a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration may apply. | |
| Labour Market Priorities for Physicians | This selects physicians to apply for nomination through the federal Express Entry system. Only candidates with an approved offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the IWK Health Centre who receive a Letter of Interest from Labour, Skills and Immigration (LSI) may apply. | ||
| Physician | The stream helps the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK) hire general practitioners, family physicians, and specialist physicians to work in Nova Scotia. | ||
| International Graduates In Demand | This stream is for recent international graduates whose skills and education match specific National Occupational Classification (NOC) job categories. This stream is currently open to workers in 2 NOC job categories:
| ||
| Skilled Worker | This stream helps employers recruit foreign workers and recently graduated international students. The applicant must have a full-time job offer from the province and must have 1 year of work experience related to the job. Workers in TEER category 4 or 5 of the National Occupational Classification must already have six months’ experience with the employer.). | ||
| Occupations in Demand | stream targets specific TEER category 3, 4 or 5 occupations of the National Occupational Classification that are in high labour market demand. The applicant must have a full-time job offer in
| ||
| Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry | This stream selects highly skilled individuals who wish to live in Nova Scotia permanently. Applicants must have at least one year of experience working in Nova Scotia in an occupation at TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the National Occupational Classification. | ||
| Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program - NLPNP | Enhanced category | NL Express Entry Skilled Worker | Applicants must have a high-skilled job or job offer which is at least 2 years. The applicants also must score a minimum of 67 points out of 100 on the PNP point assessment grid |
| Base categories | Skilled Worker Category | Eligible applicants are required to have a guaranteed offer of employment from a local employer, or be currently working in the province on a valid work permit. Employers must also demonstrate a need for the applicant’s skill set. | |
| International Graduate Category | This category is for recent graduates who have a Post-Graduate Work Permit and a job or job offer from a Newfoundland and Labrador employer. | ||
| YukonYukon Nominee Program streams (The stream is defined by the NOC of the job offer) | Critical Impact Worker | For workers in TEER 4 or 5 categories | |
| Skilled Worker | For workers in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 categories | ||
| Express Entry | Conects to the federal EE. | ||
| Yukon Community Program | Critical Impact Worker stream | For workers in TEER 4 or 5 categories | |
| Skilled Worker stream | For workers in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 categories | ||
| Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest Territories Nominee Program | Emplyer-Driven Stream | The applicant needs a job offer from an NWT employer. | |
| Froncophone Stream | This stream is for qualified foreign nationals, who speak both French and English and have a valid job offer from an NWT Employer. | ||