Data from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that 19,160 invitations to apply (ITAs) went to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in 2022.
The total number of ITAs issued was 37,315 meaning 51% of ITAs in 2022 went to PNP candidates. Receiving an ITA means IRCC is considering the candidate as a possible permanent resident, and they may submit their application for final consideration by an IRCC officer.
The new IRCC data sheds more light on enhanced PNP nominations, including the number of ITAs by province, and the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score ranges.
Invitations by CRS score
Most Express Entry candidates (17,905) received an ITA in 2022 if they had a CRS score between 491-600.
The remaining 19,160 candidates with CRS scores higher than 600 were Express Entry candidates with an enhanced provincial nomination.
Enhanced nomination occurs when a province expresses interest in a candidate already in the Express Entry pool because they are most likely to easily integrate into the provincial economy and settle.
It is not possible to score a higher CRS score than 600 without obtaining provincial nomination.
Invitations by program
After the PNP the highest number of candidates were invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). ITAs were given to 12,960 candidates.
IRCC issued 5,200 ITAs to candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
There were no candidates invited from the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) in 2022.
Candidates in the FSWP require one year of full-time work or equivalent paid work experience over the past ten years in an occupation that falls under National Occupational Skill TEER 0 1, or 2. They also need a validated language ability test that scores the equivalent of at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French across all four abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
Further, FSWP candidates must score at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid. The grid assesses candidates based on factors that include age, education, work experience, arranged employment, language ability, and adaptability. Lastly, candidates need to meet the settlement funds criteria to prove they have enough savings to support themselves financially in Canada.
Express Entry candidates in the CEC require one year of full-time work experience in Canada, obtained over the previous 36 months and a CLB of 5 for candidates with NOC TEER category 2 or 3 jobs or CLB 7 for NOC TEER category 0 or 1 jobs. Typically, candidates applying for PR through the CEC are already living and working in Canada as temporary residents.
Invitations by province
The number, and type, of ITAs issued in 2022 varied by the province of intended destination.
Ontario was the leading destination in terms of intended province of residence- 17,920 candidates overall. Among them, 8,990 CEC candidates who received an ITA indicated that they intended to settle in the province. This makes Ontario the only province where the number of CEC candidates exceeded the number of those in the PNP who intended to settle.
British Columbia was the second most sought-after destination of choice for Express Entry candidates. There were 4,240 ITAs issued to PNP candidates (out of the total 7,495 for all programs) who planned to settle in the province.
Alberta was the intended destination for 4,655 ITA recipients and Manitoba for 2,195. All other provinces posted fewer than 2,000 ITA recipients each, with Newfoundland and Labrador seeing just 345 ITA recipients and the territories less than 50 each.
