Immigration Corner | Easiest provinces for provincial nomination

Dear Mrs Powell,

I follow you on Facebook and read your articles in The Gleaner every week. I want to say thank you for the information you provide. I am over 40 years old. I know that may seem old based on the articles I see, but I think at this age I have so much to give, and I have the savings and investments to facilitate a successful move to Canada. I have a bachelor’s degree and am currently pursuing my master’s online. I realise that the best option for me is to get a provincial nomination. The thing is I do not have any relatives in Canada, and I’ve come to realise it’s not easy to get a job offer.

My question is this: Are there any provinces that would give me a nomination without a job offer. Which province is the easiest province to apply to? I look forward to reading your answer. Thank you again.

DG

Dear DG,

The Canadian Provincial Nominee Programmes (PNP) serve as a way for provinces to select individuals and nominate them for permanent residence based on their ability to alleviate labour shortages or bolster the province’s economy. Each province has its own rules and requirements, and a few do not require that you have a job offer to apply.

I recommend that you meet with a Canadian immigration lawyer to discuss the provinces that I will mention below to see which one is most suitable for you and the best programme based on your occupation, work experience, education, and other factors.

Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Programme (SINP) is one of the most popular provinces as it has several streams that do not require a job offer. The International Skilled Worker category is for international workers with work experience and interest in the province. This category is further subdivided into categories such as International Skilled Worker: Occupation In-Demand and International Skilled Worker Saskatchewan Express Entry.

For the in-demand categories, your skills and work experience must fall within one of the ‘in–demand occupations’. This list is subject to change without notice. You should check the provinces website to see the occupations that are excluded. If your occupation is not excluded, then you may apply.

Saskatchewan recently launched The International Healthcare Worker expression of interest (EOI) category, which is a unique opportunity for applicants to be linked with Saskatchewan Healthcare employers. This is a good way to ensure job security. Foreign workers who receive an employment offer from a Saskatchewan employer do not need to create an EOI profile via the SNIP. The next step would be to apply directly to the International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer sub-category or the ‘Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot’.

Individuals with education, work experience within the last five years in the following occupations should consider applying to Saskatchewan: registered nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, medical laboratory technicians and pathologists, diagnostic cardiac sonographer, diagnostic medical sonographer, practical nurses, physical therapists, teachers, accountants, computing and information technology, engineers, web developers, doctors, medical sonographers, land surveyors, biologists, financial and investment analysts, human resource managers, professional occupations in advertising, marketing, and public relations, to name a few.

You do not need a job or a family member to apply to SNIP. However, you must submit an expression of interest directly to the province and be able to score above 60 points out of 100 to qualify.

Ontario, Nova Scotia, BC, and Alberta

These provinces use the Express Entry System to select individuals who could meet their labour shortages. Once you have an Express Entry System profile with a comprehensive ranking score of over 400, then your chances of being selected would be high, depending on your work experience or NOC code.

Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Alberta have an Express Entry Stream of provincial nomination that work in tandem with the Express Entry System. These provinces have direct access to the system, and they examine the pool of candidates for individuals who have demonstrated by their profile that they have an interest in the province and the credentials to help support the province’s economic development and diversification priorities.

You cannot apply directly to the provinces under this stream. You must wait to be contacted directly by these provinces. The province will issue a notification of interest directly to your express entry profile. Once you have a notification of interest from the province, then you will be able to apply to them for consideration. The province must take the initiative, and so only candidates who are asked to apply will be considered under the provinces Express Entry Stream.

For Alberta and Nova Scotia, the provinces do not always list the occupations that they have considered, but they have been known to be more generous as they have selected individuals with scores under 400 and even as low as 350.

One parting advice is that to be eligible under any provincial nominee programme in Canada, candidates are required to have the education, training, skills, and work experience that demonstrate that you can contribute to the growth and development of the province. Additionally, you must have proof of English/French language skills and an educational credential report before you apply. I recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer to find more about the various provincial nominee programmes.

Deidre S. Powell is an immigration lawyer, mediator, and notary public. Submit your questions and comments via www.deidrepowell.com to request a Zoom or telephone meeting. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.