The PNP immigration targets for Canada will continue to surpass Express Entry.

Through its provincial nominee schemes, Canada is taking in more economic immigrants.

The goal of having 500,000 new permanent residents enter Canada annually by 2025 will be dramatically increased under the Immigration Levels Plan, which was unveiled on November 1.

The increase in allocations under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) accounts for a sizable portion of the overall target increase. The program invited a total of 83,500 new permanent residents in 2022, while the Immigration Levels Plan for 2023–2025 predicts a dramatic increase of 20,000 new permanent residents in 2023, bringing the total to 105,000. More moderate PNP target increases of 110,000 and 117,500, respectively, will be made in 2024 and 2025. This indicates that by 2025, a PNP will be used to admit a fifth of all new permanent residents.

The decision on whether a candidate can become a permanent resident ultimately rests with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), even though the provinces choose the immigrants they believe will make the greatest contributions to the provincial labor force.

This is a component of the multi-year PNP allocation plan that the immigration ministers of Canada decided to create at a gathering last summer.

On the other hand, Express Entry programs will choose up to 114,000 new permanent residents by 2025, starting with 82,880 in 2023. This builds on the lofty goals set for 2022 when PNP targets surpassed Express Entry.

For each province, PNP aims are divided into allocations. For instance, in 2022, IRCC gave Alberta 6,500 provincial nomination certificates and Ontario 9,700. The three-year allocation for each province has not yet been made public.

Even though Canada sets its permanent residence targets over a three-year period, PNP allocations were decided on an annual basis prior to the Immigration Levels Plan 2022–2024. In the future, PNP allocation targets would also be determined on a three-year basis, the ministers decided.

Provinces requested higher PNP targets.

The provinces convened earlier this year and requested from the government, citing Canada’s historic labor need, a dramatic rise in immigration targets through the PNP.

In Canada, there are presently 5.2% more unemployed people than there are open positions. There aren’t enough workers in Canada to fill all the open positions, especially because many of them are in highly specialized fields like tech and healthcare.

Provinces frequently offer immigration programs that are tailored to the province’s most in-demand professions. Provinces are better able to fill their most urgent job needs, which can vary between each province, by increasing the number of immigrants they can choose from and invite through these streams. Additionally, immigrants gain from this since they are more likely to settle down, obtain skilled work, and integrate more quickly.

What is PNP

According to the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA), the federal and provincial governments share responsibilities for immigration.

In accordance with the PNP, provincial governments choose the skill set that will be most advantageous for the province’s economy before inviting qualified applicants to apply. Candidates can then apply for permanent residency through IRCC if they accept a provincial nomination, which indicates they want to live and work in the province.

In 1999, 400 immigrants participated in the PNP, which had its start in 1998. Every year since then, more people have joined the group, reaching over 40,000 by 2012. Since then, it has more than doubled, reaching over 80,000 admissions annually by 2022.

Because the federal and provincial governments see the PNP as a useful tool for fostering economic growth outside of the provinces and urban areas with already substantial immigrant populations, the PNP has steadily seen annual target increases.

Immigrants overwhelmingly preferred to settle in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal prior to provincial designation. As a result, the prairies, the Atlantic provinces, and the territories did not profit significantly from immigration in terms of a strong workforce or diversified communities.

Candidates for Express Entry are encouraged by provincial nomination by receiving an additional 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). With a provincial nomination, applicants who are ineligible for Express Entry can also find it simpler to gain permanent residence status.