While immigration to Canada is mostly the jurisdiction of the Federal Government in Canada, each of Canada’s provinces has its own small immigration program whereby the provincial government can nominate individuals for immigration to their province based on their own specific criteria. Once nominated by a province, the individual can apply for permanent residence through the federal immigration program. These Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada (PNP’s) usually break down into a skilled worker category and a business immigration category.
This summary will describe the different business immigration programs currently available by province.
It is important to be aware that any permanent residency application is subject to a final decision by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and a nomination from a province is not a guarantee that CIC will approve the applicant’s request for permanent residency. CIC will review admissibility criteria such as an applicant’s criminal history and medical condition, and can refuse an application if they find the applicant to be inadmissible based on the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.