Canada Express Entry vs Provincial Nominee Program

Posted by Nationwide Immigration Services on April 5th, 2024

Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are the two biggest pathways for new permanent residents entering Canada every single year. These two immigration pathways will account for 220,770 newcomers – in 2024 alone - out of the 485,000 that Canada is aiming to welcome. 

If you’re planning to move to Canada – whether to find jobs in Canada from India, better quality of life, or any other reason, the main question arises: Should I submit a profile under the Express Entry program or through a Base PNP? 

Express Entry

The reason many applicants choose Express Entry to apply for Canada PR from India is due to its quick processing times. This makes it one of the main and fastest pathways for economic immigrants.

Under Express Entry, there are three immigration programs you can choose to apply for: 

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

IRCC, in the Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, aims to welcome 110,700 permanent residents through these programs. 

Who is eligible?

All three programs under Express Entry have unique eligibility requirements and you have to meet at least one before you qualify to submit your profile to the Express Entry pool. Once you gain the minimum points required to qualify for the program in the 67-point calculator and submit a profile in the pool, you officially become an Express Entry candidate. 

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

Once your profile is in the pool, your profile will again get a score assigned called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This is based on your work experience, education, language skills, and other factors. 

IRCC conducts regular Express Entry draws every 2 weeks. You must wait for an Express Entry draw – whether general or program-specific -  with a minimum CRS score that matches your CRS score to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canada PR. 

If your CRS score is lower than the minimum score required, do this: first, check PR eligibility for Canada from India using the CRS score calculator and then, use methods to improve your score such as gaining more work experience, getting additional educational credentials, etc. 

Remember, your Express Entry profile’s validity is for one year after submission, and once it expires, you have to re-submit it. 

After receiving an ITA

Once you have an ITA in hand, IRCC will give you 60 days to submit a complete PR application with supporting documents. If your application is approved, you will be granted permanent residence in Canada. 

Invitation from Canadian Provinces

The provinces in Canada can also invite you from the Express Entry pool. This is possible through Provincial Nominee Programs known as enhanced streams. These streams are aligned with Express Entry and are different from standalone or Base PNP streams. 

If you wish to receive a provincial nomination under an enhanced stream, you have to be invited from the Federal Express Entry pool, or the provincial or territorial pool of eligible candidates. Then, you can submit an enhanced PNP application to the specific province or territory. 

If you get one, you obtain 600 CRS points, which increases your chances of securing an ITA from the federal government. 

Base Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

Let’s make this clear – Base PNPs are those which are not aligned with Express Entry and are managed by the provincial or territorial government. You have to meet the unique requirements and apply for these PNPs separately. 

Base PNPs are designed for provinces or territories to meet their local labour market gaps and demographic challenges by nominating eligible candidates directly. 

Every Canadian province and territory, except Quebec and Nunavut, has their PNPs. Some popular ones include Ontario PNP, Manitoba PNP, PNP Saskatchewan, British Columbia PNP, and more. The eligibility of these PNPs is unique and can vary depending on what program you apply to. However, those candidates are preferred who have lived, studied, or worked within a province in an in-demand occupation or have secured a job offer from an eligible employer in that province. 

If you don’t have any ties, having strong human capital factors that a province is looking for will work in your favour. 

Last but not least, you must know that Provincial Nominee Programs are the second largest immigration pathways for immigrants. However, when compared to the Express Entry Target 2024, it is not as large. PNPs are projected to overtake all other immigration pathways in 2025 and 2026 and become Canada’s largest pathway for welcoming newcomers. 

The decision is yours!

For more information and an in-depth understanding of the programs, connect with India’s best immigration consultants, Nationwide Visas to get a free consultation session. 

Good Luck!