Canada’s immigration quotas have been slowly on the rise due to a major shortfall in qualified workers in the country. There are several avenues for immigrants to apply and immigrate to Canada and the main ones are Federal Skilled Workers Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class and the Canadian Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). The PNP is the best avenue for an applicant who fails to qualify for the other, more stringent immigration programs. It allows the successful applicant to live and work in Canada indefinitely after they obtain their permanent resident status.
The primary avenue for immigrating to Canada is the Canadian Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and these programs are designed to ensure the labour shortfalls in the country by allowing provinces to select and nominate individual applicants who want to settle in any one of the provinces in Canada. Each province has its own PNP system and this allows them to designs the programs in a manner that address their specific and unique labour shortfalls.
Whereas, people can apply on their own to be considered for the program, territories prefer if applications go through qualified immigration consultants who have the experience, skills and know how to evaluate the efficacy of each application against the needs of the provinces and territories.
There are 11 PNPs in Canada and each has unique requirements on eligibility criteria, fees, application processes, and other unique requirements. The following is a list of all active PNPs in Canada:
- Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
- Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
- Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
- New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
- Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
- British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
- Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
- Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
- Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
These PNPs are divided into two broader categories: namely employer-driven approach and business driven approach. The Employer driver approach is whereby employers can sponsor qualified and skilled workers to immigrate to Canada through the PNP program, and by doing so, meet their unique labour demands.
On the other hand, the business-driven approach, also known as the business-driven approach, targets investors and entrepreneurs who are interested in doing business in Canada. It also applies to individuals who lack a job in Canada but have the skills and experience needed in the provinces and territories and are willing to offer these skills once they land in Canada. Some of the territorial PNPs offer either both of these approaches or only one.
Role of Immigration Consultants in Assisting PNP Applicants
Immigration consultants operate as guides to potential applicants and by assisting them through the application process, the applicants can easily navigate the different regulatory requirements each province or territory has that they may not be fully aware of. In most cases, the primary work of an immigration consultant is to ensure there is compliance in the entire application process, and in doing so, help an applicant to succeed in their immigration process. Immigration consultants do this by focusing on the following areas:
1. Assessing Applicant’s Eligibility
Applicants have different skills, experience and needs, and this makes their eligibility for the different PNP programs just as diverse. An immigration consultant will know how an applicant’s experience and skills fit with the 11 different PNPs and help the applicant to file their application in the right province or territory that would make their application successful.
Each program has its own specific requirements that applicants may not be aware of at the time they are making their preliminary preparations for an application. Therefore, its upon the immigration consultant to provide the necessary information on every single aspect that determines applicant’s eligibility.
2. Preparing the Application
Individual’s applicants make a lot of mistakes during application and some of these mistakes, though easy to avoid, are rampant on account of inexperience. An immigration consultant has plenty of experience and knows all the documentations that are required beforehand, and may even pre-empt which documentations may be called upon based on each applicant’s history. Immigration consultants are also great on timelines and submissions and this is something of great value to any applicant since missed timelines can be quite detrimental to their application.
3. Representing the Applicant and Appealing Decisions
Given the fact that applicants are still in their home country while starting their application process, it can be costly and daunting when submitting applications in physical form. However, an immigration consultant can represent the applicant in their full capacity and this not only makes the application process more efficient, but the applicant can rest easy knowing a professional is handling the entire process.
Apart from simply representing the applicant, the immigration consultant can appeal certain decisions on behalf of the applicant. In some instances, the application may be rejected due to misfiling and if the consultant has all the necessary documentation, they can appeal the decision and ensure all appropriate documentation are provided.
4. Update Applicants on Changing Policies
PNP policies can change over time depending on each province’s or territory’s labour preferences. As global trade changes, domestic labour requirements also shift, albeit slowly. Immigration consultants share the same networks with bureaucrats working for PNP programs across the provinces and territories and are therefore amongst the first to be aware of any shifting policies. A policy shift may affect future applicants, and by the time they become operational, immigration consultants are already fully aware of how the application processes change.
Overall, the role of an immigration consultant is very important in Canada’s provincial Nominee Programs. They act as the link between state officials and qualified immigrants and offer services to both parties. They can advice state immigration officials on the shifting demands and needs of applicants, and on the other hand, they offer applicants a platform for faster and easier PNP applications. In essence, immigration consultants offer applicants a stress-free way to achieve their immigration dreams without the hustle of doing it on their own at risk of misfiling or denial.
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