2024 In Provincial Nominee Programs: Your December Summary and 2024 Year In Review

December closed out the year with strong draw activity across multiple provinces, focusing on critical labor market needs and occupation-specific draws. The month saw 1,609 invitations issued across several provinces, with Alberta and Manitoba leading the charge. 

Comparison of December vs. November 2024 PNP Draws 

Overall Trends 

• December Total Invitations: 1,609 invitations (across multiple provinces). 

• November Total Invitations: 1,396 invitations. 

• Trend: December saw a slight increase in activity compared to November, with a significant rise in Alberta’s invitations and more targeted draws across provinces. 

Alberta 

• December: 854 invitations across multiple draws (Dedicated Healthcare, Express Entry Priority Sectors, and others). A high number of draws covering healthcare, tech, construction, and law enforcement was a highlight this month. 

• November: 714 invitations. 

• Trend: A notable increase in invitations in December, with expanded streams and sectors, making Alberta the most active province in December. 

British Columbia (BC) 

• December: 47 invitations across three draws, targeting childcare, construction, healthcare, tech, and veterinary care. 

• November: 127 invitations across five draws. 

• BC conducted its last draw for the year on December 11, 2024, so it issued fewer invitations and its weekly draw activity trend ended. 

Manitoba 

• December: 675 invitations across two draws including targeted draws for healthcare workers, bus drivers, transit operators, and restaurant and food-service managers. 

• November: 553 invitations across two draws. 

Key Observations 

1. Alberta dominated December draws, issuing around 50% of the total invitations across diverse streams, marking a sharp rise in activity compared to November. 
2. There was a modest increase in overall invitations, driven largely by Alberta’s expanded activity. 
3. Ontario and Quebec had no reported invitations in December, for the second month running. For Quebec, this isn’t a surprise since the rounds are currently paused through to June 2025 at the latest. We’re uncertain what’s driving the break in Ontario. 

2024 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Highlights and Trends 

Summary of Draws: Province-by-province 

• Ontario: Over 22,000 invitations as follows:  

Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream: 6,695

Employer Job Offer: International Student stream: 8,363

Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream: 914

Masters Graduate stream: 5,519

PhD Graduate stream: 533

Entrepreneur stream: 0

• British Columbia (BC): Approximately 6,500 invitations (frequent smaller draws targeting key sectors like healthcare, childcare, tech, and construction). 

• Alberta: Around 6,000 invitations (expanded streams and late-year activity with a December surge). 

• Manitoba: Approximately 7,000 invitations (steady draws focusing on skilled workers inside and outside Canada, international students, and occupation-specific streams). 

• Quebec: Over 12,000 invitations (regular draws prioritizing French-speaking candidates and specific occupational needs). 

• Prince Edward Island (PEI): Around 1,000 invitations (focused on healthcare, construction, and expiring work permits). 

• Saskatchewan: Roughly 500 invitations (smaller draws targeting agriculture, healthcare, and other in-demand occupations). 

Highlights 

• Many PNP draws consistently focused on addressing labor shortages in key sectors such as healthcare, construction, childcare, tech, and French-speaking candidates. 

• Several provinces continued their efforts to attract newcomers to specific regions, such as Alberta’s Rural Renewal Stream, Quebec’s focus on areas outside Montreal, and BC’s regional entrepreneur program. 

Key Provincial Trends 

Ontario

High Activity: Ontario led the year with numerous large draws, especially in the Human Capital Priorities Stream and Skilled Trades Stream. 

Focus on Healthcare and Tech: Many draws targeted healthcare professionals and tech workers, aligning with provincial labor demands. 

French-Speaking Workers: Consistently issued invitations to French-speaking skilled workers, reflecting a broader national effort to bolster bilingualism. 

Alberta

Diverse Streams: Alberta launched or expanded several streams, including pathways for healthcare, law enforcement, and tourism and hospitality. 

Increased Activity: Late-year draws were particularly active, with significant multi-stream draws in December issuing over 840 invitations. 

Broad CRS Range: Alberta accommodated both high and low CRS scores, making its streams accessible to a wide range of candidates. 

British Columbia (BC)

Frequent Small Draws: BC held regular, smaller draws focused on targeted sectors like tech, childcare, healthcare, and construction. 

Sector-Specific Focus: Maintained a steady emphasis on critical labor market needs, issuing a mix of general and targeted invitations. 

Manitoba

Occupation-Specific Draws: The province targeted specific roles such as restaurant and food-service managers and transit operators. 

Steady Invitations: Monthly activity remained consistent, with balanced draws across Skilled Worker, International Education, and Skilled Worker Overseas streams. 

Quebec

Large French-Speaking Draws: Regularly invited candidates with strong French proficiency and specific occupational profiles. 

Increased Language Requirements: Introduced stricter French language mandates to align with provincial immigration goals. 

PEI

Moderate Activity: Focused primarily on healthcare, construction, and manufacturing, with draws tailored to the province’s labor needs. 

Saskatchewan

Selective Draws: Focused on smaller, occupation-specific draws in areas like agriculture and healthcare. 

The 2024 PNP Trend of the Year

As we look back on 2024, one trend stands out across Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): increased targeting. This approach has become the cornerstone of provincial immigration strategies, enabling provinces to address their specific labor market needs. (Though, this may also be a factor leading the federal government to decrease PNP nomination allocations in 2025.) 

Here’s how targeting played out across the provinces: 

Ontario

Ontario continued to lead in targeted draws, particularly through its Human Capital Priorities Stream, which focused on healthcare and tech professionals, and the Skilled Trades Stream, which invited thousands of trades workers. 

French-speaking candidates also remained a priority, with several draws under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, reflecting a broader effort to support Canada’s bilingualism goals. 

British Columbia (BC)

BC consistently held smaller, highly specific draws targeting childcare, healthcare, construction, and tech workers. These sectors were featured in nearly every draw, ensuring that the province attracted talent in areas with persistent labor shortages. 

Alberta

Alberta expanded its targeted efforts with the introduction of new streams, including the Tourism and Hospitality Stream and draws for law enforcement professionals. 

The Dedicated Healthcare Pathway continued to play a significant role, targeting both Express Entry and non-Express Entry candidates. 

Manitoba 

Occupation-specific draws became a hallmark of Manitoba’s strategy, focusing on roles like restaurant managers, transit operators, and healthcare workers. 

The International Education Stream also played a vital role in retaining talent trained within the province. 

Quebec

Quebec maintained its high standards for French proficiency, targeting candidates with strong language skills and job offers outside Montreal. This focus ensured alignment with provincial linguistic and economic goals. 

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

PEI targeted healthcare, construction, and manufacturing sectors, frequently inviting candidates with expiring work permits or ties to the province. 

Saskatchewan 

The province’s draws were smaller but highly focused, targeting occupations in agriculture, healthcare, and other in-demand fields.

Will This Trend Continue in 2025?  

It’s hard to say at this point – but we would predict that it will more than likely continue. Given that PNP immigration targets have been slashed by more than 50% in 2025, this also means that the points required to qualify for a provincial nomination will increase over the next year.  

As a result, many people who had initially hoped to transition to permanent residence via a provincial nomination will need to shift their focus.  

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