Canada Immigration Process – Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

The Eight stages of the Canadian Immigration Process – Provincial Nominee Programs

Applying for Canada permanent residency can be tiring as the country has multi-layered programs through which PR visa can be applied. On broad aspects, Express Entry is the Federal system to apply for a permanent resident visa and the other way of applying directly in the states.
Talking about Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program, it’s a two-stage process. Applications are primarily submitted to Authorities in the intended province, and once the application is accepted for Invitation to Apply (ITA) i.e. nominated by a territory or Province the application is submitted to federal immigration authorities.
Canada’s PNP includes various states having its own process for immigration. A general overview of the immigration process is listed below to understand the flow of intricate steps and duration for the same.

STAGE 1.
Completed application submitted to the Provincial Nominee Program office. The application is checked for completion and documented. The application must contain:
• An original, correctly completed, signed provincial nomination forms;
• Identity and civil status documents;
• Documents supporting your educational and employment qualifications;
• A letter from your current employer (if required for your nomination category);
• A job offers from an employer in the province (if required by your nomination category);
• Proof of relative in the province (if required for your nomination category);
• Proof of language proficiency (if required for your nomination category);
• If you are applying under the US Visa Holder’s category of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), copies of your H1-B petition and legal status documents are required; and
• Photocopies of completed signed Canadian Immigration Visa application forms.

STAGE 2.
In this stage, an application is assessed by a Provincial Nominee Program Officer. Your application is carefully analyzed by a program officer to ensure you meet the requirements of your provincial nomination category and that the documents supporting your eligibility for provincial nomination are genuine. If an interview is not required as part of your nomination category, you will receive a Provincial Nomination Certificate.

STAGE 3.
A personal interview is sometimes required. In certain cases, applicants are required to meet with provincial authorities personally to establish their suitability for a nomination. This is usually for applicants who wish to establish a business in the province.

STAGE 4.
The application is submitted to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Once you receive your Provincial Nomination Certificate your application must be submitted to the CIO within the time period specified which is mentioned on your certificate where it is checked for completeness. The application must contain provincial Nomination Certificate, original completed and signed Canadian Immigration Visa application forms, identity and civil status documents, police clearance certificates and federal government processing fees.

STAGE 5.
The application is forwarded to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office responsible for processing applications from your country of residence or nationality for approval. The CIO transfers the application to regional visa office where it undergoes federal approval processes.

STAGE 6.
Medical Instructions are issued. Upon assessment of your application by the Canadian Immigration Visa Office, medical instructions will be forwarded to the applicant. Applicant and dependents accompanying, if applicable, are required to undergo a medical examination by a doctor that has been approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

STAGE 7.
Your passport is requested and the Right of Permanent Residence fee is due. After the medical results have been received by the Canadian Immigration Visa Office, they will request the Right of Permanent Resident Fee (RPRF) payment and your passport for the purpose of issuing a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa. Note that submitting passports is no longer required if the applicant is from a Visitor Visa-Exempt country.

STAGE 8.
Your Canadian Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa is issued. Your Canada Immigration Visa will have an expiry date, by which time you and your accompanying family members must enter Canada, or “land.”