Provincial Nominee Program: Provinces and territories now determine eligibility

Canada shifts PNP eligibility decisions to provinces and territories for new and certain pending applications.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals for permanent residence based on regional economic and labor market needs, through province specific base streams and Express Entry aligned enhanced streams.

Effective 30 March 2026, amendments to Canada’s immigration framework have reallocated decision making from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to provincial and territorial governments. Provinces and territories now have exclusive authority to determine whether an applicant qualifies as a member of the Provincial Nominee class, including assessing the applicant’s ability to become economically established and their intent to reside in the nominating jurisdiction. 

These changes apply to all new PNP applications submitted on or after 30 March 2026, as well as to applications already in process that had not yet passed the federal eligibility assessment stage as of that date.

Summary

For additional information, or if you wish to discuss this further, please contact your EY Law LLP professional. Visit eylaw.ca.

The information shared through EY Law LLP Immigration Alerts is for information purposes only. It is not, and should not be taken as, legal advice.