Provincial nominee programs respond to local labour and population needs. A route may depend on an employer, occupation, local education, work experience or another connection to the province. Some nominations connect to Express Entry; others use a separate federal process. Compare the current intake rules with where you genuinely intend to live. A nomination is an important step, but the federal permanent residence application remains a separate decision.
What to plan
- Identify provinces relevant to your experience and intentions.
- Compare Express Entry and non-Express Entry routes.
- Check invitations, intake limits and employer conditions.
- Plan nomination and federal application documents.
The process, step by step.
This is the typical sequence to discuss when agreeing your service. The exact requirements depend on your circumstances and current instructions.
Compare suitable provincial routes
Check your occupation, connections, job offer and genuine settlement intentions against the current streams in relevant provinces or territories.
Follow the provincial intake process
Complete any employer step, expression of interest or invitation requirement before submitting a nomination application through the available stream.
Review nomination terms
If nominated, check conditions, validity and whether the federal application must use Express Entry or the non-Express Entry process.
Complete the federal application
Submit within the applicable period, provide required admissibility evidence and report relevant changes while the permanent residence decision remains pending.
What to prepare
These are starting points for a discussion. The official checklist and your circumstances determine the documents required for an application.
- Employment and occupation evidence
- Language tests and education records
- Provincial ties or settlement intention evidence
- Employer support and nomination documents where applicable
Your questions, answered.
It depends on the stream. Some require a job, local study or another connection; others use different selection criteria.
No. You still need to meet the federal application and admissibility requirements and comply with the nomination’s conditions.
Check the official guidance
Research checked 13 October 2026. Program rules, intake, fees, and processing times can change. Use the current official instructions before making a decision.