Canada Releases List of 11 Provinces and Territories Offering Immigration Pathways

• Canada's official immigration portal has named 11 provinces and territories that accept nominees under the Provincial Nominee Program
• Each province and territory sets its own eligibility requirements and decides how many people it can nominate each year
• Quebec and Nunavut are not part of the PNP, meaning applicants targeting those regions must explore separate immigration routes

Canada's federal government has published details of 11 provinces and territories that offer immigration pathways through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), giving prospective immigrants a clearer picture of where they can apply for permanent residence.

The information appears on the official Canada.ca immigration portal and outlines how the PNP works, who qualifies, and which regions are participating in 2026.

How provincial nominee programme works

Under the PNP, individual provinces and territories are allowed to nominate people who have the skills, education, and work experience their local economy needs and who intend to settle in that specific region. A successful nomination can lead to Canadian permanent residence.

The 11 participating provinces and territories named on the government page are:

1. Alberta
2. British Columbia
3. Manitoba
4. New Brunswick
5. Newfoundland and Labrador
6. Northwest Territories
7. Nova Scotia
8. Ontario
9. Prince Edward Island
10. Saskatchewan
11. Yukon.

Each of these regions manages its own streams and sets its own criteria for who qualifies. They also control how many nominations they issue annually, meaning available spots and requirements can differ considerably depending on where an applicant chooses to settle.

Quebec, Nunavut have no PNP

Notably, Quebec and Nunavut do not participate in the Provincial Nominee Program. The federal government advises anyone interested in settling in either of those regions to look into separate immigration channels, as both operate outside the PNP framework entirely.

For Nigerians considering the japa route to Canada, the PNP represents one of several pathways to permanent residence, alongside federal programmes such as Express Entry. Unlike Express Entry, which is a points-based federal selection system, the PNP allows provinces to directly identify candidates who match their specific labour market needs, which can be an advantage for applicants who may not score high enough in the federal system alone.

Prospective applicants are advised to visit the official Canada immigration page to review the requirements for each province or territory before submitting an expression of interest.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Canada announced the age requirements for citizens of 36 countries to qualify for a Work and Travel Scheme.

Permanent residency: Canada releases new immigration data

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada announced its latest immigration data, which showed the country remains on track to meet its 2026 permanent residency targets across all major categories.

But while many Nigerians and other Africans continue to watch Canada’s immigration pathway, the country has closed a special permanent residence route for Hong Kong nationals after receiving more than 30,000 applications covering about 48,000 people.