With the exception of Nunavut, every province and territory in Canada runs a special Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet local economic and demographic requirements. Potential applicants should check with each province to see if they are eligible, as program requirements and application processes vary widely between them. Here are the provincial nominee programs from different Canadian provinces:

Alberta Advantage Immigrant Program (AAIP)

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)

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)

Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)

Canadian provinces and territories can nominate people who want to move to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Quebec and Nunavut in northern Canada are the only exceptions. Instead, Quebec has the right to set its own criteria for deciding who can immigrate for economic reasons.

The primary goal of the PNP is to spread the advantages of immigration across Canada. Most Canadian immigrants settled in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia before the PNP was established in 1998. Since 1998, the Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and the Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador) have had greater success in attracting immigrants, thanks in large part to the PNP. As a result, immigration across Canada has been more widely distributed since 1998.

The federal Express Entry immigration selection system is compatible with at least one immigration stream in each PNP. "Enhanced Nominations" are provincial nominations issued through these streams aligned with Express Entry. The advantage of the Enhanced PNP streams is that they provide Express Entry applicants with an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, effectively ensuring that they will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry. Another significant advantage is that the federal government will complete their permanent residence applications faster - usually within six months. The "Basic" stream is another method of obtaining permanent residency through the PNP. Here, you apply directly to the PNP stream and the federal government will process your permanent residency after you receive a provincial nomination.