There are different types of Canadian visas: PR visa, work visa, study visa, tourist/visitor visa, etc., which have different purposes. You would apply for a PR visa if you want to permanently settle in Canada. On the other hand, a work or a study visa would be applied by a person looking to work or study in Canada. Similarly, there’s another commonly known visa, PNP visa, officially known as a provincial nomination.
A provincial nomination demonstrates that an individual is nominated by a Canadian province or territory because their education, skills, work experience is found to be required. Once a candidate is nominated, they can either directly apply for PR to IRCC, or if they have an Express Entry profile, wait for an EE draw, receive an ITA, and then apply for PR.
Either way, a PNP visa assists the candidate greatly throughout the immigration process. To apply for a PNP visa, you must be eligible for it. Several PNPs require candidates to first obtain a job offer before applying for the program. However, there are some programs that offer a PNP visa without a job offer. In this blog, we’ll mention such Provincial Nominee Programs.
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Here is the list of all streams of the PNPs that provide a PNP visa without requiring a job offer:
| Provincial Nominee Program | Stream |
|---|---|
| Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) | Alberta Express Entry Stream |
| BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) | BC PNP International Post-Graduate (IPG) |
| Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) | Skilled Worker Overseas |
| Graduate Internship Pathway | |
| New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) | NB Express Entry Stream |
| NB Strategic Initiative Stream | |
| Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) | Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities |
| Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry | |
| Physician | |
| Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) | Human Capital Priority Stream |
| Skilled Trades stream | |
| French-Speaking Skilled Workers | |
| OINP Masters Graduate stream | |
| OINP PhD Graduate stream | |
| Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) | SINP Occupation in-Demand |
| Saskatchewan Express Entry |
Understand these streams briefly below.
1. Alberta Express Entry Stream
Though the Alberta Express Entry Stream does not require you to have a job offer, there are different programs operated under it that do.
To move to Alberta without a job offer, you can apply through its Family Connection and Primary Occupation, if you meet the requirements. Alberta will require you to have already worked in an occupation which is considered in-demand in the province. Along with that, you must have a child/sibling/parent who is already a resident of Alberta.
2. BC PNP International Post-Graduate (IPG)
Any recent foreign graduate who graduated from an eligible BC post-secondary institution and has an eligible master’s or doctoral degree, may apply to the BC PNP IPG stream. The IPG stream also stretches to include PhD students who have gained candidacy at a public BC post-secondary institution.
3. MPNP Skilled Worker Overseas
One can apply through the Skilled Worker Overseas stream if they show that:
- they were invited by the MPNP as part of a Strategic Recruitment Initiative
- they are supported by their family members/friends
- they either studied or worked in Manitoba
4. MPNP Graduate Internship Pathway
You may apply for a nomination through the Graduate Internship Pathway if you are an international student who graduated with a masters or doctoral degree in Manitoba within the last 3 years. One of the main requirements of this program is that the candidate must have completed an eligible internship with Mitacs in the province.
5. NB Express Entry Stream
The NB Express Entry stream nominates candidates who already have Express Entry profiles. Candidates are required to be eligible for any one of the Express Entry programs before applying for this stream. Once a candidate meets the eligibility requirements of this stream, they must score at least 67 out of 100 points in the selection criteria.
6. NB Strategic Initiative Stream
The Strategic Initiative Stream of NBPNP is one of the candidate-based streams that offer a chance to French-speaking candidates to immigrate to New Brunswick. Though a job offer is not mandatory to be eligible, if you do have it, you can score additional points.
7. Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream selects the required applicants from the Express Entry pool and sends them a Letter of Interest to apply to the stream for a nomination. Since the stream does not require applicants to have a job offer, they must demonstrate they have adequate settlement funds to establish themselves in the province.
8. Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
The Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream selects highly-skilled workers who already have at least 1 year of work experience in any of the NOC TEER categories: 0, 1, 2, or 3. After being nominated, the applicant can apply to the IRCC for permanent residency.
9. Nova Scotia Physician stream
The Physician stream of the NSNP assists the Nova Scotia Health Authority and Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre to recruit the following kinds of healthcare professionals:
- Family Practitioner
- General Physicians
- Specialist Physicians
10. OINP Human Capital Priority Stream
If you meet the language requirements, have required work experience and meet educational requirements, you may be eligible to obtain a PNP visa through the Human Capital Priority Stream of the OINP.
11. OINP Skilled Trades stream
To be eligible for OINP’s Skilled Trades stream, you must have relevant and required skilled trades work experience, gained in Ontario. Once you receive a Notification of Interest, you may apply to this stream for a nomination.
12. OINP French-Speaking Skilled Workers
As the name of the stream indicates that it’s for francophone skilled workers, an applicant must have at least NCLC level 7 in French. However, along with knowledge of French, you must also score at least CLB 6 in English.
13. OINP Masters Graduate stream
If you have graduated from Ontario with a masters degree, you can register in the Expression of Interest system to get an ITA so you can apply to the stream to be nominated.
14. OINP PhD Graduate stream
Similar to the OINP Masters Graduate stream, only PhD graduates can apply to the PhD stream if they receive an ITA by the OINP.
15. SINP Occupation in-Demand
Through the SINP’s Occupation in-Demand stream, a highly skilled candidate, who intends to live in the province and meets the eligibility criteria can apply to be nominated.
16. SINP Express Entry
You may apply through the SINP Express Entry stream if you have an Express Entry profile, which is in the pool, have intentions to live and work in Saskatchewan, and meet the other eligibility requirements of the stream.
So, here are all the streams of Provincial Nominee Programs of each province and territory that do not require a job offer to provide a PNP visa or nominate a candidate.
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