Provinces Fell Short of Their Provincial Nomination Targets in 2025: IRCC Data

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applications include two distinct steps: getting a provincial nomination and applying for permanent residence based on that nomination. As a result, the number of permanent residents accepted under PNP closely aligns with the number of nominations issued by provinces and territories. 

Internal government data obtained through an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request revealed that, in 2025, provinces fell short of achieving their nomination targets. Based on January to October 2025data, provinces and territories were on track to use only 81.6% of the nomination allocations by end of the year. 

Here’s what the data revealed. 

Key Takeaways 

• Canada’s provinces used only 68% of their PNP nomination spaces in the first ten months of 2025. 

• Express Entry-linked PNP nominations were only at 53% utilization nationally by October 2025. 

• Yukon had only used 25% of its allocation by October. Manitoba and Nova Scotia also fell considerable short.  

• Only Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan were on track to use their full nomination allocation for 2025. 

A Near Perfect 2024 Followed by a Slower 2025 

In 2024, Canada’s PNP system ran close to full capacity. Nationally, provinces issued 98% of their combined nomination allocation of 67,000 by year-end. Most provinces hit or exceeded their allocation targets.  

New Brunswick issued nominations at 110% of its allocation. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Yukon each reached 100%. Ontario came in at 99%. Alberta and Manitoba used 93% of their nomination space. Only Prince Edward Island came in notably short, at 81%. 

Nomination allocations are made by IRCC each year, after consulting with provinces, and keeping overall federal immigration targets in mind. Ontario typically gets the most spots, followed by Alberta, Manitoba, and B.C. 

In 2024, Ontario issued 21,336 nominations, more than double the number issued by Alberta (9,049). The four Atlantic provinces together issued 10,180 nominations. Even Northwest Territories (102% achieved with 306 nominations) and Yukon (430 nominations, 100% allocation used) met or exceeded their nomination targets. 

These numbers include nominations issued both through the base and enhanced streams. The enhanced PNP stream, which allows provinces to nominate candidates directly from the federal Express Entry pool, finished 2024 at 99% utilization. The base stream, which covers nominations outside the Express Entry system, closed at 97%.  

Across the board, PNP was operating at its intended pace throughout 2024. However, 2025 looked very different. 

By October 2025, with ten months of the year gone, national PNP utilization sat at just 68%. Ideally, by then, you would expect that figure to track close to 83%, matching the proportion of the year that had passed.Assuming provincial and territorial nominations at the same pace in the final two months of the year, the 2025 total nominations would reach 81.6% of the allocation space.  

2024 Versus 2025 Provincial Allocations

Before we dive into nominations issued in 2025, keep in mind that the overall provincial allocations for 2025 were significantly lower than for 2024. 

While provinces and territories had a total 67,000 nomination spaces to use in 2024, in 2025, they had only 46,369. This already meant 30% fewer spaces than 2024, in line with the overall immigration target reduction for 2025. 

Ontario saw the steepest cut to its allocation. From 21,500 in 2024 to 10,750 in 2025, the province’s nomination allocation was cut by 50%. Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan had their allocation cut by one-third. B.C. saw a smaller (22%) but still sizeable reduction to its allocation, as did Prince Edward Island (14%). 

Only New Brunswick saw a significant increase in its nomination allocation, growing from 3,000 in 2024 to 3,770 in 2025. This made sense, given that NB exceeded its nomination target in 2024. 

Next, let’s look at how these allocations were utilized. 

Provincial Nominations Issued in 2025 (Until October 2025) 

According to IRCC’s data, which captures nominations issued by provinces and territories till the end of October 2025 (83% of the year), nearly all provinces and territories were lagging in nomination spaceutilization. 

The only two exceptions were Newfoundland and Labrador, which had used up 85% of its nomination space with 1802 nominations, and Saskatchewan, which was at exactly 83% utilization. Both these provinces were on track to use up their nomination allocation for 2025 by end of year. 

Ontario, which still holds the largest provincial allocation in the country, used only 62% of its total by October 2025 (on track to achieve 74.4% by end of year). Within that, the Express Entry-linked portion of Ontario’s program was at just 32%. 

Manitoba moved from 93% at year-end 2024 to 57% in the first ten months of 2025. Nova Scotia dropped from 100% to 58%. At this pace, these two provinces were on track to close the year at around 69% of their targeted allocation.  

New Brunswick, which had exceeded its allocation in 2024 and negotiated increased allocation for 2025, came in at 72% by October 2025. 

Yukon’s figures are the most surprising. After 100% utilization in 2024, the territory had issued only 101 nominations against an allocation of 407 by October 2025, a utilization rate of just 25%. 

Overall, by October 2025, only 31,564 provincial nominations had been issued. At this pace, cumulatively, almost 8,500 provincial nomination spaces would go unfilled by the end of 2025.

Express Entry PNP Stream Saw Significant Slowdown 

By October 2025, the enhanced (Express Entry) PNP stream sat at 53% utilization nationally. The base stream was at 74%.  

Although both streams saw a slowdown compared to 2024, provinces appear to have pulled back more sharply on nominations issued through Express Entry. 

For context, a provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned PNP stream adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply for permanent residence. The Express Entry stream also has faster processing times, at roughly six months, versus an average 12-month processing time for base PNP. 

Why This Matters if You’re Applying For PNP 

The Provincial Nominee Program is a preferred pathway for temporary residents and foreign nationals in occupations aligned with provincial labour markets. For Express Entry candidates with mid-range CRS scores, a provincial nomination is the most realistic route to permanent residence. 

The 2025 nomination data reflects a considerable decline in utilization of provincial allocations by nearly all provinces. Together, reduced allocations and low utilization made 2025 a notably slow year for PNP.

But does this mean 2026 will be slow too? Not necessarily.  

Provinces and territories spent last year negotiating with the federal government for power to choose provincial nominees. In March 2026, IRCC officially handed over the authority for selecting PNP candidates toprovinces.  

Essentially, now provinces and territories alone will be responsible for assessing whether a candidate has the potential to establish themselves economically and the intention to reside in the province or territory. Previously, the initial assessment was done by provinces while issuing a nomination, but IRCC reassessed these factors later. This change reduced federal oversight of provincial nomination decisions and gave provinces more room to modify or adjust their programs. 

We expect provinces and territories to make better use of their allocations now that they have the authority they wanted. With IRCC’s authority reduced to assessing admissibility, it will likely also result in shorter application processing times. 

If you are relying on a provincial nomination as part of your permanent residence strategy, a few things are worth keeping in mind:

Base stream nominations were used more than Express Entry-linked ones in 2025.  

It’s a good idea to do your research on base (non- Express Entry) PNP streams and apply directly as well. Do not limit yourself to Express Entry streams only. 

Also remember that wider Express Entry reforms are being planned. One of the proposed reforms centers on the removal (or modification) of CRS points for provincial nomination. It is possible that IRCC might do away with enhanced nominations entirely and handle PNP outside the Express Entry system. This, however, remains to be confirmed. Even if it is implemented, it will likely be in 2027. 

Choosing the right province is important. 

Each province has its own streams and eligibility criteria. While one province might target tech and healthcare candidates, another might be better suited to people in agriculture occupations. 

Provinces also vary in terms of nomination allocation and utilization. The 2025 data, for instance, shows wide variation across provinces and territories, from Newfoundland and Labrador at 85% utilization to Yukon at 25%.  

It’s important that you choose a province based on labour market trends, in-demand occupations, and how competitive the provincial program is and the number of PNP spaces available. 

PNP program changes can happen quickly.  

Provinces now have more authority over their PNP nominations. This means they can act faster to adjust eligibility criteria or even add and remove streams to ensure they are choosing the right people. Keeping track of program-level updates is important if the PNP is central to your plan. 

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