Canada Provincial Visas
Living and working in Canada is possible through a range of business visas and work based immigration services. The Federal Skilled Worker Program assesses candidates on a range of criteria offering permanent residency to those who qualify. The Canadian Business Immigration Program also offers a range of options based upon business skills and investment ability. However, Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories, many of which offer individual routes known as Provincial Nomination Programs or PNPs. These province specific schemes can often provide a quicker route to permanent Canadian immigration, although they oblige applicants to live and work in the specific sponsoring province.
As specialists in Canadian immigration and visa services, Global Visa assist with applications for Provincial Nominee Programmes as well as Federal Skilled worker visas, Quebec skilled worker visas and Canadian business visas. To find out whether you qualify and to begin your application today, visit the Global Visas online assessment are now.
Why Apply for a PNP?
The Provincial Nomination Program offer a range of benefits over Federal visas, not least the fact that in many cases the application process is much quicker. PNPs offer a route to permanent immigration and ultimately, the opportunity to apply for permanent Canadian citizenship. The exact requirements for PNP applications differ between provinces and a Global Visas Canadian immigration consultant will be able to advise you of the specific requirements of your chosen province. However, in general PNPs assess candidates on factors such as their age, qualifications education and the likelihood of their adapting to living and working in Canada. Unlike the Federal Skilled Worker Visa and the Canadian business visas, PNPs do not involve a points based assessment, however, close attention will be paid to establishing the candidate’s genuine intention to settle in the sponsoring province.
Understanding Provincial Nominee Programmes
Provincial Nominee Program applications go through three clear stages, the first of which involves the candidate obtaining a definite job offer from a Canadian company in the province to which they intend to relocate. Like a Canadian work permit, PNPs are based upon a candidate already having a specific offer of work to take up once they arrive in Canada. Once this has been achieved, the second stage of the PNP application is for the job offer to be approved by the Provincial Government. During this stage, the application will be assessed against the specific needs of the Province.
Once the application has been successfully assessed and approved the Candidate will receive a nomination from the province, after which the third stage of the PNP application is for the candidate to apply for Permanent Residency Status. This application must be lodged with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
Living and Working in Canada
It is important to recognise that whilst PNPs are a route to permanent residency offering the candidate the right to live and work in Canada indefinitely without any time restrictions, candidates will be obliged to live and work in the province which is sponsoring them. In the same way that a Canadian work permit limits its holder to working for their sponsoring company in the stated role, a PNP application commits the candidate to living and working in the specific province until such time as they successfully apply for a grant of Canadian Citizenship.
Although not all Canadian provinces currently offer PNPs the majority do have such an arrangement in place. At the present time it is possible to immigrate to Canada under a Provincial nomination from the Provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia or Saskatchewan.
Family Immigration under a Canadian PNP
In Canada, Provincial Nomination schemes are all intended as routes to permanent residency in Canada, and as such, like the Federal Skilled Worker Visa and Canadian business visas, they provide the opportunity for applicants to be joined by their immediate family members. The husband, wife, civil partner, common-law or conjugal partner of the main applicant may relocate to Canada along with the main applicant, however the conditions of dependent entering Canada will differ between provinces. A Global Visas consultant will be able to advise you of the exact requirements for your sponsoring province.
At Global Visas our team of specialist immigration lawyers and consultants are committed to obtaining the right Canadian immigration service for you. You can begin your application today by visiting the Global Visas online assessment area. Simply take a few moments to complete one of our straightforward assessment forms and a Canadian immigration consultant will respond to you directly.
