Foreign nationals seeking Canadian permanent residency have several options, even if they have low comprehensive ranking system (CRS) scores in Express Entry.
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If you have a low CRS score, and don’t qualify for any category-based draws, you’re unlikely to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency through Canada’s federal Express Entry system.
If you have a low CRS score and want to get PR, you can consider
- Provincial nominee programs (PNPs);
- The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP);
- Family sponsorship; and
- Immigration pilots.
Read on to learn more about these options.
Which programs should I be looking at?
| Program | Whom it’s for | Summary of major criteria |
| Provincial Nominee Program | Foreign nationals with an intent to reside in particular province or territory, other than Quebec or Nunavut | Varies depending on the province. Over 80 different streams. |
| The Atlantic Immigration Program | Foreign nationals with an intent to reside in an Atlantic province, with a job offer from an eligible employer. | Job offer from an eligible employer; work experience or education; language requirements. |
| Spousal sponsorship | Foreign nationals in a marriage, common-law, or conjugal relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. | Sponsor must be your spouse. |
| Family sponsorship – dependent child | Foreign nationals who are dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. | Sponsor must be your parent. You must be a dependent child. |
| Parents and Grandparents program | Foreign nationals who have an eligible sponsor. | Sponsor must be your child or grandchild. |
| Immigration pilots | Foreign nationals who qualify for a specific pilot | Varies depending on the pilot. |
Provincial Nominee Programs
If you have a low Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and don’t have a potential family sponsor and don’t qualify for any immigration pilots, going through a PNP program is quite likely to be your best shot at receiving an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residency under an economic immigration program.
To qualify for any PNP program, you must demonstrate an intent to reside in the province or territory to which you’re applying for sponsorship, and must also meet the specific criteria for that PNP stream, which have been established by the province or territory.
All provinces and territories have PNPs, except Nunavut and Quebec.
If you’re looking to apply to a PNP, it’s important to understand that there are two types of PNPs: base PNPs and enhanced PNPs. The major differences are summarized in the table below:
| Type of PNP | Requirements | What you receive if successful | Typical processing time for PR (after having received nomination) |
| Base | -Meet requirements of PNP. | Certificate of nomination | 12 months. |
| Enhanced | -Meet requirements of PNP Stream. -Have a valid Express Entry Profile. | 600 additional CRS points on your Express Entry Profile. | 6 months. |
In the case of base PNPs, you apply directly to the PNP, and if successful, you will receive a certificate of nomination, which you can use to apply to IRCC for PR.
Enhanced PNPs, in contrast, integrate with Canada’s federal Express Entry system. To be eligible for an enhanced PNP program, you must qualify for at least one of the three federal Express Entry-managed economic immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, or Federal Skilled Trades.
If you are successful with an enhanced PNP, upon receiving your provincial nomination you’ll score the maximum of 600 additional CRS points on your Express Entry profile, greatly increasing your ranking in the candidate pool. You can receive your invitation to apply (ITA) directly from IRCC if they select you in an Express Entry draw.
Some PNP streams are purely base streams; others are enhanced, while some others have both a base and enhanced option.
The primary advantage to an enhanced PNP is a faster expected processing time of your permanent residence application after you apply to IRCC.
Enhanced PNP programs typically have around a 6 month processing time, while base PNPs typically have around a 12 month processing time.
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How to apply to a PNP
If you’re considering PNPs, the first step is to determine which stream(s) for which you’re eligible, for the provinces in which you have an intent to reside.
There are over 80 PNP streams. The streams vary quite a bit depending on the province or territory. Typical aspects for eligibility of PNPs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Age;
- Education;
- Language proficiency;
- A job offer;
- Your occupation;
- Licensing/certification for your occupation;
- Settlement funds;
- Ties to the province; and
- Work experience.
Once you’ve done your own research or consulted with an experienced immigration representative to determine which stream(s) you’re eligible for, the next step is to follow the consideration process for that stream.
The province sets the consideration process, and these too may vary from stream to stream.
For some PNP streams, you can apply directly to the PNP whenever you like by submitting a complete application, and if successful, you will receive a provincial nomination. Typically, the streams for which you can apply at will require that you have a job offer in that province or territory.
For other PNP streams, you must first receive an invitation from the PNP prior to applying.
For those PNP streams which require that candidates first receive an invitation, there are two main kinds: active and passive.
Active streams require that the candidate take some action in order to be considered. For example, you may be required to create an account in the province’s online system, and submit an expression of interest (EOI) or letter of interest (LOI) to the province.
Depending on the PNP stream, that province may review each and every EOI or LOI submitted, and make a decision on each one.
Alternatively, upon receiving your EOI or LOI the PNP may place your profile in a pool of candidates, score your profile based on their own ranking system, and conduct periodic draws in which they issue Notifications of Interest (NOIs), Invitations to Apply (ITAs), or Letters of Advice to Apply (LOAs) to top-ranking candidates.
For passive streams, you do not need to take any special action to be considered. A passive consideration PNP stream integrates with the federal Express Entry system. The province will review all active Express Entry profiles that meet the criteria for that passive PNP stream, and will select and notify candidates to apply to the PNP for nomination.
The Atlantic Immigration Program
To apply for permanent residence through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), you must have a job offer from a designated employer in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
Canada’s Atlantic provinces are
- New Brunswick;
- Newfoundland and Labrador;
- Nova Scotia; and
- Prince Edward Island (PEI).
Employers can become designated by applying to the province in which they are located. Each province has its own application process for the designation of employers.
If you have a job offer and meet all the other criteria, your employer can apply to the province for a Certificate of Endorsement, which you’ll need in order to apply for permanent residence.
You may also be eligible for a two-year work permit as an AIP nominee.
Spousal Sponsorship
If your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they may be able to sponsor you for Canadian permanent residence.
Provided that you have the appropriate relation to an eligible sponsor, and you are eligible yourself, you can apply directly to IRCC for permanent residence under this program.
CIC news has published guides on each of the key steps involved in spousal sponsorship:
You must be in a genuine relationship to qualify for spousal sponsorship. It is illegal to marry for immigration purposes.
Marrying for immigration purposes can lead to a refusal of your application, or even revocation of your permanent residence (if discovered later).
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Family sponsorship – dependent child
If you are the dependent child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they may be able to sponsor you for Canadian permanent residency.
As with spousal sponsorship, if you and the sponsor are both eligible, you can apply to IRCC directly.
In general, you are considered a dependent child for immigration purposes if you are
- Under the age of 22; and
- Not married or in a common-law relationship.
In some cases, you can qualify as a dependent child if you’re aged 22 or older, provided that
- You were financially dependent on your parent(s) prior to the age of 22; and
- You remain financial dependent on your parent(s) due to a mental or physical condition.
You must meet the definition of a dependent child for the entire duration of the processing of the application.
Dependent children of dependent children may also be sponsored.
Family Sponsorship – Parents and Grandparents program
If you’re the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, your parent or grandparent may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence.
Unlike family sponsorship for spouses and children, however, being able to apply for PR under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is not a sure thing.
You must first submit an interest to sponsor form, and then wait to be invited under a lottery system.
The PGP received its maximum number of allotted interest to sponsor submissions in 2020, after which IRCC ceased to accept interest to sponsor submissions. All invitations sent from 2020 to 2024 have been in response to the 2020 intake.
Should the management of the program carry on in accordance with past events, obtaining an invitation to apply for PR under the PGP program may prove both time-consuming and difficult.
You need not gain PR status for extended visits to Canada, however. If you are a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you can take advantage of the super visa to visit your family members for up to five years at a time.
Immigration Pilots
The Canadian government runs immigration pilots, which can also provide pathways to permanent residence for eligible foreign nationals.
As with the PNP, there are many different immigration pilots, and you’ll have to do your own research, or consult with an experienced immigration representative, to determine which pilot programs are currently operating for which you may be eligible.
Current federal pilot programs at the time of writing include
The federal government has announced its intention to launch a new caregiver program pilot, but has not yet released details on eligibility or when this program is expected to launch.
Immigration pilot are temporary programs by definition. When the government announces a given pilot program, they typically also announce an end date for the program. If the program reaches its end date and is not renewed, the pathway goes away.
Successful pilots can become permanent pathways to PR. The Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural Canadian Immigration Class are examples of permanent programs which have come out of successful pilots.
If you’re eligible for a pilot program, be sure that you follow the exact process for consideration and avoid any errors in your application, and that you meet all deadlines for consideration for the program.
If a pilot program closes before you can be considered, there is no guarantee that you’ll gain another opportunity to apply to it.
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