Canada is a country with several benefits such as high-quality education, good healthcare solutions, diversity, job opportunities, insurance benefits for employees and their immediate families, and several other benefits for residents. That is why many people from all over the world choose to migrate to Canada.
To offer permanent residence in Canada, the Immigration Department of Canada, which is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has introduced various ways such as
- The Express Entry
- The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
IRCC is responsible for selecting candidates based on their eligibility.
The applicants who want to get into the country by Express Entry Visas are ranked based on their background and the points-based method popular as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Later, candidates with the highest scores are selected to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence through Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Whereas Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a programme where Canadian Provinces and Territories allow individuals who will help their economy grow to apply for permanent residency in the concerned provinces or territories. It is an agreement that the Canadian Government has made with 11 provinces and territories out of 13 to offer jobs to foreign nationals with permanent residency in Canada.
In the case of Express Entry Visas, applicants who gain permanent residence can move anywhere in Canada. In contrast, PNP applicants who gain permanent residence need to reside in the concerned province and for a specified period.
Every province has set its criteria for receiving the applications and its own immigration programme.
There are three programs under Express Entry Visa, administered by IRCC.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Express Entry is considered more effective than the PNP for various reasons. A maximum number of applications in Express Entry are processed within the timeframe of 6 months. However, the processing time for PNP applications takes longer, depending on the programme through which the application is submitted.
Generally, the applicant requires a job from a Canadian company that needs prior approval from the Canadian Government to give job offers to foreign nationals under the PNP programme. In contrast, there is no need for an applicant to have a job offer from Canada in the Express Entry programme.
Also, the Express Entry application cost is higher than the one that is required to be paid for PNP.
PNP does not guarantee permanent residence in certain cases, whereas Express Entry does guarantee permanent residence after all the criteria are fulfilled.
