Provincial Nominee Programs: ZIMMR Immigration

What this program is

Almost every province and territory runs its own immigration streams, selecting people who fit that province's specific labour market. A nomination is not permanent residence by itself — it is a province telling the federal government that it wants you — but it carries enormous weight in the federal system.

There are two shapes to be aware of. An enhanced stream is aligned with Express Entry: a nomination adds 600 CRS points to your federal profile, which is half the maximum possible score and in practice decisive. A base stream sits outside Express Entry entirely, with its own separate application to IRCC afterwards and its own timeline.

Because each province sets its own criteria and its own intake, this is the most fragmented area of Canadian immigration. Streams open and close, criteria change, and what is true of one province tells you very little about another. Most provinces also expect a genuine intention to settle in that province specifically.

At a glance
Run by	Individual provinces and territories
Enhanced streams	Aligned with Express Entry — nomination adds 600 CRS points
Base streams	Outside Express Entry, with a separate application to IRCC
Criteria	Set by each province, and changed by each province
Nomination is	A step toward permanent residence, not a grant of it

What you'll generally need

Evidence you meet the specific stream's criteria, which vary by province and change over time.
Often a connection to the province: a job offer, previous study or work there, or family.
Evidence of genuine intention to live in that province.
For enhanced streams, a valid Express Entry profile to attach the nomination to.
The usual federal documents at the permanent residence stage: language results, police certificates, medicals and identity documents.

What an application on this route usually involves. Not a checklist that guarantees anything — IRCC sets the requirements, and they change.

Who this program fits

People whose occupation or ties match a specific province's stated needs.
Express Entry candidates whose federal ranking alone is unlikely to be competitive — 600 points changes the picture entirely.
Not a fit for someone unwilling to settle in the nominating province: intention to reside there is generally part of what is assessed.

Whether it fits you is what a consultation is for. This page cannot answer that and does not try to.

Comprehensive Ranking System points

Once you are in the Express Entry pool, the CRS decides where you rank. These are IRCC's published maximums, out of a total of 1,200.

Changed in 2025: Arranged employment no longer earns CRS points. IRCC removed job offer points on 25 March 2025 — previously 200 for senior management roles and 50 for other skilled occupations. Older guides and third-party calculators still show them.

Maximum points by section
Section	With a spouse	Without a spouse
A. Core / human capital factors	460	500
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors	40	n/a
C. Skill transferability factors	100	100
D. Additional points	600	600
Maximum total	1,200	1,200

Core / human capital factors
Factor	With a spouse	Without a spouse
Age	100	110
Level of education	140	150
First official language	128	136
Second official language	22	24
Canadian work experience	70	80

Additional points
Factor	Maximum points
Provincial or territorial nomination	600
French language skills	50
Post-secondary education in Canada	30
Brother or sister living in Canada (18+, citizen or permanent resident)	15

Full age table

Age	With a spouse	Without a spouse
17 or younger	0	0
18	90	99
19	95	105
20 to 29	100	110
30	95	105
31	90	99
32	85	94
33	80	88
34	75	83
35	70	77
36	65	72
37	60	66
38	55	61
39	50	55
40	45	50
41	35	39
42	25	28
43	15	17

These are IRCC's published maximums, reproduced for reference. A score is not an eligibility decision and does not predict an invitation: IRCC sets the cut-off for each round after the fact, and it moves. ZIMMR does not publish target scores.

Reproduced from IRCC's published criteria, verified 14 August 2026. See the official page

Try the free FSW points estimator

Common mistakes

Reading one province's rules as though they apply generally

There is no common provincial framework. Criteria, intake and processing differ, and guidance written about one province is frequently wrong about another.

Missing a narrow intake window

Many streams open for short periods, sometimes with little notice, and close once a quota is met. Preparation has to be done before the window, not during it.

Treating the nomination as the decision

The federal application that follows is assessed separately, including admissibility, and can be refused on grounds the province never examined.

Weak evidence of intention to reside

Applications that read as though the province was chosen only for the points tend to be assessed that way.

Questions

How much is a provincial nomination worth?

600 CRS points, which is half the 1,200-point maximum and by a wide margin the largest single factor in the system.

Can I be nominated by one province and settle in another?

Nomination is granted on the basis that you intend to live in that province. Mobility rights exist under the Charter, but applying with no genuine intention to settle where you are nominated is a misrepresentation risk, not a loophole.

What is the difference between enhanced and base streams?

Enhanced streams connect to your Express Entry profile and add the 600 points. Base streams run entirely outside Express Entry with their own separate application to IRCC afterwards.

Can I apply to several provinces at once?

Provinces run their own processes and each has its own rules about concurrent applications. Some restrict it. This needs checking per province rather than assuming.

Provincial Nominee Programs