Canada “to Strengthen” Provincial Immigration Programs

Starting July 1, 2012, most Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants for semi- and low-skilled professions will have to undergo mandatory language testing of their listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities and meet a minimum standard across all four of these categories.  

Canada will change the program further to continue to focus on economic streams.  The PNP has been a major success in helping to spread the benefits of immigration across the country, with many economic immigrants choosing to settle outside of the three major cities (Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal).  

The Provincial Nominee Program was designed to be aligned with Canada’s economic and labour needs. But, in some provinces, it is being used as an indirect route to family reunification.  “We have a federal family sponsorship program that reunites families,” added Minister Kenney. “This is not the goal of the PNP and we want to work with provinces and territories to ensure that the program is solely focused on supporting economic growth rather than duplicating non-economic federal immigration streams.”

The PNP is now Canada’s second largest economic immigration program, with admissions having grown from about 8,000 immigrants in 2005 to expected admissions of 42,000 people this year. Each province and territory is responsible for the design and management of its own PNP, which must be consistent with federal immigration policy, legislation and the terms of bilateral agreements.

The full news release is available here.