Canada’s Minister for Immigration announced Tuesday that the Federal Government will be adding 2,000 spaces to be filled by applicants under the Provincial Nominee Program(PNP). These spaces will ensure even more applicants have the chance to pursue permanent resident status in Canada, with an emphasis on making the transition to permanent resident status easier for temporary foreign workers.
Increasing PNP allocations across Canada supports the Federal government’s goalsof attracting international skilled and semi-skilled workers to the country. Canada’s PNP allows each province to exercise power in selecting candidates with particular work, education and language experience for fast-tracked immigration to the province. Successful nominees become very competitive for Canadian immigration, and must apply to the federal government for permanent resident status after nomination.
The Value of PNP’s
PNP’s are designed to address the job market and demographics of the province. Each provincial program is composed of several immigration streams with their own eligibility requirements and application process. Currently there are 70 active PNP streams in Canada, the end result of each being Canadian permanent resident status.
With each province seeking specific in-demand occupations, work and educational experience, options for provincial nominations abound. As Canada’s federal Express Entry immigration system continues to become more efficient, many PNP streams have become Express Entry aligned. This means faster processing times, and accessible online application.
PNP Options for Temporary Workers
The announcement to increase spots for Canadian PNP’s also means good news for Canada’s temporary foreign workers. The increase will allow more low and semi-skilled temporary workers to make the transition to Canadian permanent residence with the assistance of the PNP.
Some immigration streams that current temporary foreign workers may be the ideal candidates for are the BC Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category, Ontario Foreign Workers, and the Prince Edward Island Critical Worker stream. Through these streams, temporary working visa holders in Canada are offered a simplified path to permanent residence status, making accessing employment and newcomer services more secure.
As the Canadian government moves forward with plans to welcome over one million newcomers by 2021, we can expect to see immigration quotas continue to rise in the coming months. With the current conditions for Canadian immigration as they are, now may be the best time to begin your immigration process
