Maple News reports that Prince Edward Island (PEI) conducted its scheduled Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on February 18, inviting 121 immigration candidates to apply for provincial nomination.
According to PEI’s Office of Immigration, the majority of invitations—102 in total—were issued under the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories. The remaining 19 invitations were extended to Business Impact candidates, who needed a minimum Expression of Interest (EOI) score of 82 to qualify.
The PEI PNP continues to align closely with the federal Express Entry system through its Express Entry stream, classified as an enhanced nomination stream. This allows PEI to directly select candidates from the federal Express Entry pool who meet the province’s labor market demands.
Under the federal Express Entry system, candidates are scored using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which evaluates factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency in English or French. A provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s CRS score, almost guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in an upcoming federal draw.
To be considered for nomination from PEI, Express Entry candidates must submit an EOI profile to the PEI PNP. These profiles are scored based on PEI’s own points grid, and the top-ranked candidates are regularly invited to apply during monthly draws.
While PEI did not disclose the exact breakdown between Express Entry and Labour Impact invites or the minimum EOI scores for these streams, consistent draws from the province indicate ongoing efforts to attract skilled international talent to support local economic needs.
The Labour Impact category targets foreign workers with employment offers in PEI, while the Business Impact category aims to attract entrepreneurs looking to establish or invest in businesses within the province.
PEI’s approach demonstrates the strategic role that provincial immigration programs play in complementing national immigration goals, helping to address regional labor shortages while offering promising pathways to permanent residency for candidates around the globe.