3. Finding Internationally Trained Workers

• 1. Why hire?
• 2. Plan
• 3. Recruit
• 4. Assess & Select
• 5. Integrate & Retain
• 6. Resources
• Video Series

3.2.5 Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program allows provinces and territories to nominate immigrants who will settle within their boundaries and contribute to their economic development.

• You can help foreign workers succeed by advising them on the process.

Steps for foreign workers

Step 1: Apply for provincial nomination

Workers who choose to immigrate to Canada as provincial nominees must first apply to the province where they wish to settle and complete the provincial nomination process.

• Each jurisdiction has its own criteria, so interested workers should visit the appropriate website.
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon

Step 2: Obtain and complete the forms in the permanent residence application package

After workers have been nominated by a province or territory, they have to make a separate application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for permanent residence.

The Application for Permanent Residence: Guide for Provincial Nominees package includes an application guide and all the forms that need to be filled out.

The applicant should print the following forms and carefully follow the instructions for filling them out. All questions should be answered carefully, completely and truthfully, and the forms must be signed.

Application for Permanent Residence in Canada

• Schedule 1: Background/Declaration
• Schedule 4: Economic Classes: Provincial Nominees
• Additional Family Information
• Use of an Immigration Representative. This form is for foreign workers who get advice and assistance from immigration representatives. Using a representative is a personal choice and there is usually a fee for this service.

Step 3: Check the application before submitting it

The foreign worker must make sure the application is completed correctly, and that all the necessary supporting documents are included.

• There is a helpful checklist in the Application for Permanent Residence: Guide for Provincial Nominees.

Step 4: Submit the application to the correct visa office

The foreign worker must submit applications to the applicable visa office–the office that serves his or her country of origin, or the country in which he or she legally resided for at least one year.

• To find the applicable visa office, go to Where to send your application.
  • Note that applicants already working in Canada temporarily should submit their applications to the visa office in Buffalo, New York.

Step 5: Pay the applicable fees

The foreign worker should visit the Provincial Nominee Program – Citizenship and Immigration Canada website to determine the fees that will have to be paid. Information on how to pay fees is included in the instructions.

• A processing fee for foreign workers and their dependants must be paid when the application is submitted.
  • This fee is not refundable, even if the application is not approved.
• A Right of Permanent Residence fee for applicants and accompanying spouses or common-law partners may be applicable.
  • The fee should not be paid until the application is processed, but must be paid before Citizenship and Immigration Canada issues a permanent resident visa. This fee is refundable if the foreign worker cancels the application, if the application is not approved, or if they do not use their visa.
• Other costs may include fees for a medical examination, a police certificate and language testing.
  • Medical examinations have to be carried out at prespecified locations. The list of authorized doctors, organized by country, territory or region, is included in the Application for Permanent Residence: Guide for Provincial Nominees.