Provinces are changing how they select nominees for Canadian permanent residency – what you need to know

Over the past few months, several provinces have transitioned to new systems for selecting nominees for permanent residence (PR).

Prior to these changes, many provincial nominee programs (PNPs) had streams—typically requiring job offers—for which eligible foreign nationals could apply directly to the PNP, and if successful, would receive a provincial nomination.

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As of the time of writing, most PNPs no longer have streams to which you can apply directly for nomination. Instead, you must create a profile in the PNP’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system, and then be invited by the province through a draw.

After having been invited, you can then respond to the province with a complete application to be considered for provincial nomination.

This article will cover

What an EOI system is;
Which provinces and territories have recently adopted EOI systems;
All the provinces and territories with EOI systems;
How to increase your chances of success when navigating an EOI system; and
Why more provinces and territories are adopting EOI systems.

What is an Expression of Interest System?

An Expression of Interest (EOI) system is an application management system for immigration.

Those interested in immigrating to a province or territory first submit an Expression of Interest, which indicates their skills, work experience, education, and other factors.

Here’s what the process looks like:

Applicants first submit an Expression of Interest to the province or territory;
This allows the applicant to be ranked on the basis of their skills and human capital factors and entered into a pool of other qualified applicants;
The province or territory might have draws (or invitation rounds);
The top candidates get invited to apply for provincial nomination; and
Candidates are usually given a fixed amount of time to submit a complete application with documents proving their qualifications.

Provinces may sometimes hold draws with additional specific criteria (above and beyond a stream's requirements). For example, Manitoba may hold a draw inviting only candidates who have indicated that they’ve completed post-secondary education in the province.

Which provinces have recently adopted EOI systems?

Most recently, Yukon announced that foreign nationals can no longer apply directly to the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP). Instead, their employers must now submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for them to be considered under the YNP.

Yukon is the first territory to join a growing list of PNPs that have recently adopted the EOI model.

New Brunswick moved to an EOI model for two of its enhanced pathways under the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) in March 2025.

Newfoundland and Labrador announced that it would be adopting an EOI system for both its PNP and for its portion of the Atlantic Immigration Program in February 2025.

And in September 2024, Alberta launched an EOI system for some of its Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) pathways.

Provinces and territories that have adopted EOI systems so far

These provinces and territories use an EOI system for at least one of their immigration streams:

Alberta.
British Columbia.
Manitoba.
New Brunswick.
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Ontario.
Prince Edward Island.
Quebec.
Saskatchewan.
Yukon.

Provinces and territories which have not adopted EOI systems

These provinces and territories have not operated an EOI system for immigration.

The Northwest Territories.
Nova Scotia.

How to increase your chances of success with an EOI system

Under an EOI system, every eligible candidate competes with other candidates for a limited number of invitations.

There are several things you can do to increase your chances of success when pursuing PR through an EOI system.

Make the most of your language skills and academic qualifications: Review the qualifications required for the PNP stream and identify opportunities to enhance your profile. One effective strategy is taking language tests (or retaking them) to secure the highest possible scores. Additionally, consider obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for any foreign degrees or qualifications you hold.

Get a job offer in the province (if applicable): Some streams require a job offer for a candidate to be eligible for that stream. Those that don't require a job offer may still assign more points to candidates with job offers.

Target the least competitive stream: Most provinces have multiple streams for immigration. Be sure to research all the streams you may qualify for. Calculate your score and compare it to recent draw results. This can help you be strategic about which stream you submit your EOI for.

Apply to multiple EOI streams (if applicable/possible): Some PNP EOI systems will only allow you to submit your profile for consideration under a single stream for that PNP. But if you're open to settling in more than one province, you can submit an EOI under each PNP for which you want to be considered as a nominee candidate. Keep in mind that you can only apply to one PNP though--when you apply to a PNP, you indicate an intent to reside in that province, so applying for a nomination from more than one province would constitute misrepresentation.

Prepare your documents in advance: Procuring some documents (such as police certificates, ECAs) can be time-consuming. With many provinces issuing deadlines for submissions, it’s best to apply for those documents in advance to meet deadlines.

Why more provinces and territories are transitioning to EOI systems

In recent years, many provinces and territories in Canada have experienced record-high immigration levels. According to Statistics Canada, in 2022/23, every region across the country saw the largest population gains from international migration since at least 1971.

While demand for immigration to Canada has been increasing, provinces and territories face constraints. That is because provinces and territories are allotted a fixed number of nominations they can issue per year through the PNP. This allocation quota is determined by the federal government.

In the latest Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government cut targets for PNPs by 50% in 2025.

As a result, most provinces and territories are grappling with significantly reduced allocations. Some – like Newfoundland and Labrador – even negotiated an increase in allocations by committing to an increased intake of humanitarian immigrants.

To better manage demand and align immigration with regional labour market needs, many provinces and territories are turning to Expression of Interest (EOI) systems.

Unlike traditional first-come, first-serve models, EOI systems allow provinces to

Create a pool of qualified applicants they can draw from when needed;
Choose applicants according to labour market needs;
Streamline processing by focusing on applicants with in-demand skills; and
Provide eligible candidates the opportunity to be considered throughout the year.

Without an EOI system, many PNPs would operate under a "first-come, first served" model, where they would accept applications until hitting their cap for the year, and then close to new applications until re-opening the following year.

About the PNP

All provinces and territories in Canada, with the exception of Nunavut and Quebec, operate Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to support their immigration goals.

Each province and territory has different criteria for choosing eligible candidates for immigration.

Immigration through a PNP with an EOI system follows a three-step process.

First, candidates submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to a province.

If they are invited by the PNP in response to their EOI, they can then submit a complete application for nomination. Their application may be approved or refused. If it is approved, they receive a provincial nomination.

They then have to use this provincial nomination to apply for PR with the federal government.

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