Under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), a province or territory nominates people who have the skills, education and work experience its economy needs and who want to live there. A nomination is not permanent residence. The federal government makes the final decision. Law Wise, based in Mississauga, advises on provincial nomination, including Ontario’s program, the OINP.
How the Provincial Nominee Program works
The PNP has two stages, and each has its own decision-maker:
- Provincial stageYou apply to a province or territory under one of its streams. Each province and territory sets its own requirements and decides how many people it can nominate each year.
- Federal stageIf you are nominated, you apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. IRCC checks admissibility, including medical and security requirements, and decides.
Quebec and Nunavut do not have nominee programs. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants under a separate system.
Two ways to apply after a nomination
The province or territory tells you which process applies to its stream:
- Express Entry process. You must also qualify for one of the federal Express Entry programs. The nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System score, which helps you receive an invitation to apply, and the application is then processed through Express Entry.
- Non-Express Entry process. You qualify for a provincial stream but not for a federal Express Entry program. After nomination you apply to IRCC directly.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
Ontario redesigned the OINP in 2026. According to Ontario’s program page, updated 14 July 2026, the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream has launched and all other streams are closed. The page also says the program is changing and that more changes are coming.
In outline, the process works like this. The employer uses the Employer Portal to ask for approval of the employment position. The worker registers an expression of interest. Candidates who receive an invitation may apply for nomination. If Ontario nominates the candidate, IRCC decides the application for permanent residence.
Because the program is being redesigned, check the requirements on Ontario’s website on the day you rely on them. We do the same before giving advice.
Programs in other provinces and territories
Each program has its own streams for workers, graduates or business people, and the streams change often. The programs are:
- Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), formerly the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
- British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
- New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
- Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
- Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
- Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
- Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
- Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
- Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
The Atlantic Immigration Program is a separate federal program for employers and workers in the four Atlantic provinces.
Choose a province you really intend to live in
A provincial nomination is for people who want to live in that province or territory. Statements about your intention, your job offer and your work history must be true. A person who misrepresents or withholds material facts can be found inadmissible to Canada for five years under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27, as it read on 10 October 2026.
How Law Wise helps with provincial nomination
- comparing provincial nomination with Express Entry and other routes for your situation
- checking a stream’s current requirements before you apply
- preparing the expression of interest and the nomination application
- working with your employer on the employer’s part of the process
- preparing the federal application for permanent residence after nomination
- advising if a nomination or an application is refused
You are not required to use a representative, IRCC’s forms and guides are free, and no representative can promise an invitation or an approval. Your file is handled by a Law Wise lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. Service is available in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi, and, if you retain the firm, fees are explained and confirmed in writing before work starts.
Common questions about the Provincial Nominee Program
Does a provincial nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. The province nominates, and IRCC makes the final decision after checking admissibility, including medical and security requirements.
Do I need a job offer for provincial nomination?
It depends on the stream. Ontario’s current stream is built around a job offer from an Ontario employer. Other provinces have streams with different requirements, and they change often.
Is the PNP faster than Express Entry?
It depends on the stream, the province and IRCC’s processing times when you apply. A nomination through an Express Entry stream adds 600 points, which normally leads to an invitation, but neither route comes with a promised timeline.
Can I move to another province after I become a permanent resident?
Permanent residents have the right to live and work in any province. You must, however, honestly intend to live in the nominating province when you apply. A false statement about that intention can be treated as misrepresentation.
What about Quebec?
Quebec does not take part in the Provincial Nominee Program. It chooses its own economic immigrants under separate rules.
Can I apply to more than one province?
Each program has its own rules, and you must genuinely intend to live in the province that nominates you. Get advice before applying to more than one, so that your applications stay consistent and truthful.
Speak with an immigration lawyer about provincial nomination
Your first consultation is free for 15 minutes, by appointment. Call us or send a message, and tell us about your occupation, your employer and where you plan to live.
This page is general legal information, current as of 10 October 2026. Immigration programs and instructions change often, so confirm the current rules on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. This page is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice about your situation, please speak with a lawyer.