Federal & Provincial Program

Canada is an immigration destination, for it offers opportunities and possibilities for immigrants to work and live in Canada. Canada thus has immigration programs for all immigrants who desire to work and reside in Canada. One of the best immigration pathways are the Federal Skilled program and the Provincial Nominee program.

Federal Skilled Program

The Federal Skilled program is an Immigration pathway that allows skilled workers to become permanent residents after qualifying in a skilled trade.

Eligibility Criteria for the Federal Skilled Program
  • Work Experience in a relevant field- a minimum of 1 year of paid work experience
  • Meet the language requirements in writing, reading, speaking, and listening
  • Provide proof of sufficient funds
  • Educational Credentials or an Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) report for foreign credentials.

The Pros and Cons of the Federal Skilled Program

The Federal Skilled program holds three skilled workers programs under the Canadian Express Entry System. Through Express Entry, Canada aims to welcome more than 100,000 immigrants by 2024. Studies have pointed out that immigrants entering Canada under the Federal Skilled program have flourished in their field of expertise. The downside to this program is that one has to cater to the skill sets established by the Federal Government, which limits their ability to exercise choice. Another benefit of the program is that one can gain PR in Canada by satisfying the requirements.

Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program is an immigration pathway that can lead you to achieve permanent resident status in your preferred province by meeting certain eligibility criteria set by that province. This program is beneficial for all those with a low score in the CRS to apply for PR (Permanent Residence) or those who cannot meet the minimum requirements for PR. It is an alternative to the Canadian Federal Skilled program.

The applications under PNP are processed when the province nominates the applicants. All applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria set by their preferred province and qualify to make economic contributions to the province. Some of the pros of PNP are-
  • It presents an excellent opportunity for applicants to get a PR status in their choice of province.
  • It offers vast job opportunities.
  • The processing time of the application is less than 6 months as the candidates are nominated directly by the province.
  • In the case of Express Entry linked PNP, there are no mandatory requirements for employment

Provinces that offer PNPs

Not all province offers PNP for immigrants. Only some provinces offer the same to boost their economy and culture. And every PNP-offering province has its own set of eligibility criteria to meet, so every province has a different set of eligibility criteria for its requirements. These provinces are-
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Saskatchewan
  • Quebec
  • Ontario

Essential Documents

To qualify for the Provincial Nominee Program, one has to produce certain documents supporting their PNP application. The requirement for documents can vary from province to province, but for the major part, it remains the same. These documents are-
  • Valid Passport
  • Educational certificates and credentials
  • Proof of fund
  • Medical Certificates
  • Language skills results
  • Recent color photographs
  • Police clearance certificates stating you have a clean record
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