Provincial Nominee Program Update — May 29, 2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
Effective March 30, 2026, new federal regulations transfer exclusive authority over assessing a nominee's 'ability to economically establish' and 'intent to reside' to the provinces, with IRCC's role now limited primarily to identity and admissibility checks.
PNP CRS cutoffs in federal Express Entry PNP draws have climbed noticeably in 2026, rising from 710 in early March to 805 by May 25, while invitation volumes per draw remain small (264–473 ITAs).
Ontario's OINP has been actively issuing invitations across multiple streams in April 2026, including Employer Job Offer streams (GTA, Eastern, Northern, Southwestern, and Central Ontario), Masters/PhD Graduate streams, and Francophone candidates.
What You Should Do
- If you have a provincial nomination or are pursuing one, strengthen your provincial file now — under the March 30, 2026 regulatory change, the province's assessment of your intent to reside and economic establishment carries more weight than before. Gather evidence such as a signed employment offer, lease agreement, or community ties in the nominating province.
- If you are in Ontario, monitor the OINP updates page at ontario.ca/page/2026-ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-updates for new invitation rounds. Recent streams with active invitations include the Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker stream and Masters/PhD Graduate stream.
- Note that PNP draws in the federal Express Entry system now require CRS scores of 795–805 (before the automatic +600 nomination points). If you do not yet have a nomination, apply directly through a provincial stream rather than waiting for a federal PNP draw.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: Effective March 30, 2026, provinces now have exclusive jurisdiction over assessing nominees' intent to reside and ability to economically establish, with IRCC limited to identity and admissibility. Passive investment-based nominations are explicitly excluded.
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: PNP draw CRS cutoffs have climbed from 710 in early March 2026 to 805 by May 25, 2026, with invitation volumes remaining low (264–473 per draw).
More Provincial Nominee Program Updates
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
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