The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) holds regular Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws throughout the year.
In the PNP draw held on January 20, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) sent out 132 immigration invitations.
Out of these invitations, a total of 121 invitations were issued combinedly to the candidates in the Express Entry pool and Labour Impact Category. The remaining 11 candidates were invited from the Business Impact Category, and in order to be eligible, these candidates had to meet the minimum provincial score requirement of 72 points.
The PEI PNP plans its draws for the year ahead of time, and this was PEI’s first scheduled draw of this year. Last year, the province issued invitations to a total of 1,804 candidates, out of which 1,697 were from the Labour Impact Category and Express Entry, and the remaining 157 invitations were issued to Business Impact candidates.
Introduction to the PEI PNP Express Entry Category
The PEI PNP Express Entry Category is a PEI PNP stream aligned under the Express Entry system of the federal government. To be eligible for this stream, candidates are required to submit an online Express Entry profile.
The Express Entry system is a management system of immigration applications received under the three federal economic-class immigration programs. They are mentioned below:
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
After entering the Express Entry pool, all candidates are assessed on the basis of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and are given a score depending upon various human capital factors like age, education, work experience, and language ability (English or French).
Express Entry candidates who secure a provincial nomination are given extra 600 CRS points, which ensures their chances of getting an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent resident status in Canada in the following draw.
In order to be considered eligible for a provincial nomination, candidates need to make a submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the province.
After the submission of the EOI profile, the profile is scored by the province on the basis of a unique points grid. The province then issues invitations to the candidates with the maximum scores to apply for a provincial nomination.
Labour Impact Category
The Labour Impact Category caters to candidates who have secured a valid job offer in PEI and have their employer’s assistance. In order to be considered eligible for a provincial nomination, the candidates need to make a submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the province.
Below are the streams in this category:
- International Graduate
- Skilled Worker
- Critical Worker
Business Impact Category
Candidates under this category are required to fulfill the minimum provincial score requirement to proceed with their immigration applications. The provincial score requirement differs in every PNP draw. The invitations in this PNP draw (held on January 20) were issued under the Work Permit Stream; this stream is designed for foreign entrepreneurs who want to own and manage a business in this maritime province.
