Provincial Nominee Program

Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. All ten provinces and two territories (Northwest Territories and Yukon) offer their own nominee programs, ranging from those based on employment, family/community ties to self-employment and entrepreneurship. Most provinces offer employment-based nominee programs, and they welcome entrepreneurs who want to invest and manage a business in their territory. After July 1, 2011, when the federal entrepreneur program ceased to accept applications, the provincial entrepreneur programs are the only option for investor immigrants who want to control how their capitals are spent. In addition, the prairie provinces also offer programs for farmers who want to operate a farm.

Each provincial nominee program has its unique requirements and application process. However, they all involve a two-step process. The first step is that the applicants to be selected by a province or territory, and the second step is to apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for a permanent resident visa for the principal applicant and family members. Applications under the provincial nominee program benefit from priority processing. Normally the total processing time by the province and CIC is shorter than the processing time under the equivalent federal program processing time.

Interested in applying for Canadian permanent residence under one of the provincial nominee programs? Contact us for a discussion of your options.