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Provincial Nominee Program

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP): the base immigration streams

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In one sentence. How base Provincial Nominee Program streams work, how they differ from the Express Entry-aligned PNP path, and where to find your province.

Every Canadian province and most territories run their own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to attract workers whose skills match local labour market needs. Most PNP streams are what this guide calls base streams: you apply directly to the province, there is no Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and you do not need an Express Entry profile to begin. This is a different mechanism from the Express Entry-aligned PNP path covered elsewhere on this site — that path is for candidates already in the federal Express Entry pool who receive a nomination that adds 600 CRS points. Both paths lead to permanent residence, but they start from different places and move at different speeds.

Base streams vs. Express Entry-aligned streams

A base PNP stream is a standalone application to a province. You do not need to be in the Express Entry pool, and there is no CRS score involved — the province assesses you against its own criteria (occupation, connection to the province, a job offer, or business plans, depending on the stream). If nominated, you apply for permanent residence directly through the Provincial Nominee Class, a separate federal application stream from Express Entry. An Express Entry-aligned stream works differently: you must already be eligible for and in the Express Entry pool, and a nomination through one of these streams adds 600 CRS points to your existing profile rather than granting permanent residence on its own. Many provinces run both kinds of streams side by side, often for the same occupations, so it's worth checking whether a specific stream you're eligible for is base or Express Entry-aligned before you apply.

Find your province or territory

  • Alberta — the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
  • British Columbia — the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
  • Manitoba — the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
  • New Brunswick — the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador — the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
  • Northwest Territories — the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
  • Nova Scotia — the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
  • Ontario — the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
  • Prince Edward Island — the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
  • Saskatchewan — the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
  • Yukon — the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
Quebec runs its own separate immigration system under the Canada–Quebec Accord, not a PNP, and is not covered here. Nunavut does not currently operate a nominee program.
Provincial and territorial PNP streams open, close, and change their criteria on a regular basis — confirm current requirements directly with the province or territory you are interested in, and verify federal requirements on canada.ca before you apply.

Key takeaways

  • Most PNP streams are base streams: you apply directly to a province, with no CRS score and no Express Entry profile required.
  • This is different from the Express Entry-aligned PNP stream, which adds 600 CRS points to an existing Express Entry profile.
  • Every province and most territories run their own program, each with its own streams and criteria — Quebec and Nunavut are the two exceptions.
Sources

Last reviewed: Aug 10, 2026

This is a plain-language summary of official IRCC information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules do change, so please confirm anything that affects you on canada.ca.
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