Provincial Nominee Program Update — September 3, 2026
Thursday, September 3, 2026
As of March 30, 2026, provinces and territories are now solely responsible for assessing whether applicants can become economically established and intend to reside in the nominating province — a role previously shared with IRCC. A valid nomination certificate now serves as sufficient proof these assessments are complete.
Ontario launched a new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream on June 26, 2026, opening its Expression of Interest (EOI) portal on August 4, 2026. The stream covers job offers in all NOC TEER categories and includes a pathway for self-employed physicians.
Nova Scotia is conducting a one-time expanded selection from EOIs submitted on or before June 30, 2026, prioritizing candidates already living and working in the province whose work permits expire in 2026 or earlier, to address workforce retention and labour market gaps.
What You Should Do
- If you hold a provincial nomination certificate, confirm with your immigration consultant or lawyer that IRCC no longer re-evaluates your economic establishment or intent to reside — your certificate now covers these criteria under regulations effective March 30, 2026.
- If you are interested in Ontario's new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, visit ontario.ca/page/2026-ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-updates to review eligibility criteria and submit an Expression of Interest — the EOI portal opened August 4, 2026.
- If you are living and working in Nova Scotia with a work permit expiring in 2026 or earlier and have already submitted an EOI, verify your EOI was submitted on or before June 30, 2026, and monitor liveinnovascotia.com for selection updates under the one-time expanded priority initiative.
- If you are a self-employed physician interested in Ontario's PNP, review the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream criteria at ontario.ca, as this stream includes a specific physician pathway — EOI portal is now open as of August 4, 2026.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: Ontario introduced a new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream covering all NOC TEER categories and self-employed physicians, with the EOI portal opening August 4, 2026. Nova Scotia is running a one-time expanded selection targeting in-province workers with expiring permits from EOIs submitted before June 30, 2026.
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: As of March 30, 2026, provinces and territories are now fully responsible for assessing economic establishment and intent to reside, with a valid nomination certificate acting as conclusive proof. IRCC's role has been reduced to avoid overlap with provincial assessments.
More Provincial Nominee Program Updates
Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 31, 2026
Aug 31, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 27, 2026
Aug 27, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — August 24, 2026
Aug 24, 2026
Get immigration updates in your inbox
Weekly analysis. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.