It’s no secret that many people around the world want to immigrate to Canada. However, due to the volume of interested applicants, an immigration file can take up to 3 years to be reviewed by the government.
If there is any discrepancy with the information provided, this process may take even longer. Because of the long waiting period for immigrants seeking residency, the federal government has developed Provincial Nominee Programs.
Check Your Eligibility
Basics of PEI PNP
The Provincial Nominee Program of Prince Edward Island is called PEI PNP. It has a different Canada PR Visa process than the Express entry program. Applicants interested in moving to Prince Edward Island must submit their expression of interest online through their portal. They accept applications in three broad categories of immigration –
- PEI PNP Express Entry
- Labour impact category
- How does AIP work?
- Business impact category
PEI PNP Labour Impact
There are 3 different pathways to permanent residency (PR) through the Labour Impact Category with different Canada PR Visa process:
- Skilled Worker Stream
- Critical Worker Stream
- International Graduate Stream
Here are the minimum requirements for the above mentioned PEI PNP immigration streams:
Skilled Worker Stream
This is an immigration stream that is focused on provincial employers. It helps them to hire skilled immigrants and nominate them to live in the province as permanent residents.
- Full-time permanent or a minimum of 2 years job-offer from an employer in PEI in NOC skill level 0, A or B
- Valid work permit for working in Canada
- Legal status in the country of residence
- Ability to attend an interview with office staff at the Prince Edward Island Immigration Office as required
- At least a post-secondary diploma or degree with a minimum duration of 2 years
- Age between 18-59 years
- Minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years
- Minimum language proficiency required to perform job duties. Language ability can be verified through any one of the following methods:
- IRCC approved language test within last 2 years with minimum CLB/ NCLC level 4
- Employer signed PEI PNP-L06 Employer Language Declaration
- Documents from an internationally recognized institute indicating that the main language studied were English or French
- sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration fees for self and family to settle in Prince Edward Island
- Must have an intention to live in the province
Critical Worker Stream
This immigration stream helps the provincial employer to hire foreign workers for low-skilled jobs in the province that they are not able to fill through the talent already existing in the local labour market.
The following is the eligibility criteria for the stream:
- The offer of full-time, long-term employment (i.e. permanent or at least 2 years) from a PEI employer in NOC skill level C or D;
- At least 6 months of work experience working with provincial employers;
- A valid work permit;
- Can attend an interview with office staff (if applicable);
- Minimum education of secondary school;
- Age between 18-59 years
- At least 2 years of full-time work experience or study experience in the last 5 years;
- CLB/ NCLC level 4 to prove language proficiency;
- Sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration fees for self and family to settle in the province;
- Must have an intention to live in the province;
International Graduates Stream
International Graduates Stream offers nomination for permanent residency to those candidates who have graduated from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution. Following is the minimum requirement for this immigration stream:
- Full-time job offer from an employer in the province
- Valid post-graduate work permit with legal status in Canada
- Ability to attend an interview with office staff at the Prince Edward Island Immigration Office as required
- Successful completion of a post-secondary degree or diploma from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution
- Aged between 18-59 years
- Must possess enough language skills to perform their job duties
- Sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs for self and family to settle in PEI
- A genuine intention to settle in the PEI
PEI Business Impact
PEI PNP has an immigration pathway for experienced entrepreneurs known as PEI PNP – Work Permit stream.
It is for the entrepreneurs who want to operate their own business in the province. They need a work permit valid for one years before being invited to apply for provincial nomination for permanent residency. If a candidate gets an invitation to apply, they need to sign a performance agreement, and when the agreement is approved, they will receive a letter of support from the immigration office to get their work permit.
When the conditions and terms of the performance agreement are fulfilled, the candidate gets nominated to apply for a permanent resident status.
Here are the minimum requirements to apply for a provincial nomination through PEI PNP Business Impact category:
- Personal net worth of CAD 600,000
- Minimum education of secondary school equivalent
- 21 to 59 years of age
- Must have work experience as business owner or senior manager
- Minimum language requirements equivalent to CLB/NCLC 4
- Intention to live and work in Prince Edward Island at the same time ensuring active and ongoing day-to-day management of his own Prince Edward Island-based business
If the candidate is determined to relocate to Prince Edward Island, their education must be assessed by the Prince Edward Island Board of Education. In most cases, the World Education Services (WES) assessment will work for the candidate, unless otherwise specified by the Government of Prince Edward Island.
Having a job offer and/or work experience adds to the candidate’s score, but it is not a mandatory requirement.
How to apply for PEI PNP through the Express Entry program?
The Prince Edward Island Express Entry stream allows Express Entry candidates invited by Prince Edward Island immigration authorities to apply for and receive a provincial nomination, which translates into an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points and an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for immigration to Canada on a subsequent Express Draw. Calculate your CRS score with our CRS calculator and what are your chances of getting an ITA for Canada PR Visa in the next round of invitations.
The Prince Edward Island Express Entry stream is one of many streams administered under the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), although they only are aligned with the federal Express Entry program. Other PNP PEI flows exist outside of Express Entry.
Express Entry candidates are eligible to be nominated through PEI Express Entry; However, this does not mean that all candidates in the Express Entry pool can be nominated. A few things have to happen before this is a possibility.
First, you need to create a PEI PNP Expression of Interest Profile. You will be asked to provide a valid email address and credentials, including your passport details. Once your account is verified, you can continue to complete your profile. Applicants can only have one active profile at a time.
At this point, you will have active profiles in the federal Express Entry system and the Prince Edward Island Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Your EOI profile will remain active for a maximum of six months.
The EOI form is not a formal request to the PEI PNP; therefore, there is no submission fee. However, applicants who are invited to apply to the PEI PNP and submit an application must pay an application fee of CAD 300.
Once a candidate profile is submitted into the PEIP PNP EOI pool, it is assigned a score of a total of 100 points based on the PEI Express Entry stream.
How to calculate PEI PNP points for provincial nomination?
Points are awarded in PEI PNP points based on the following factors:
Selection factors
Age
- With a job offer: 20 points
- Without a job offer: 20 points
Language
- With a job offer: 20 points
- Without a job offer: 20 points
Education
- With a job offer: 15 points
- Without a job offer: 15 points
Work Experience
- With a job offer: 15 points
- Without a job offer: 15 points
Employment
- With a job offer: 15 points
- Without a job offer: 10 points
Adaptability
- With a job offer: 15 points
- Without a job offer: 15 points
Invitations are sent to the highest-ranked candidates in the periodic PEI PNP draws.
Are all express entry candidates eligible for PEI PNP?
In short, yes, except for certain international graduates. If a candidate is working in the province on Postgraduate Open Work Permit, they need to meet the following conditions:
- Have at least six months of full-time experience with the employer in Prince Edward Island and
- Have at least four months before the expiration of your work permit when applying to the PEI PNP.
What are the steps to apply for PEI PNP through the Express Entry program?
Here is a summary of the PEI Express Entry application process.
- Have at least six months of full-time experience with the employer in Prince Edward Island and
- Have at least four months before the expiration of your work permit when applying to the PEI PNP.
- Check eligibility for the Express entry program. If eligible, create an Express Entry profile.
- Create a profile in Prince Edward Islands EOI system.
- Receive an application from Prince Edward Island and upload it to the Express Entry profile to earn an additional 600 CRS points.
- Receive an ITA for Canada PR Visa.
- Submit PR Visa application, accompanied by all required documents.
- Get your Canada PR Visa
