Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program

Prince Edward Island is located off the eastern coast of Canada and belongs to a group of provinces known as the Maritimes (that is Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia). It is also considered part of Atlantic Canada, which includes the three Maritime provinces listed above as well as Newfoundland and Labrador.

At 280 kilometres long, Prince Edward Island (PEI) is Canada's smallest province. The Island is connected to the mainland by the 12.9 kilometre Confederation Bridge, which begins in Bordon-Carleton, PEI and ends in Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick.

Prince Edward Island is in the Atlantic Time Zone, which is -4UTC hours. When it is noon in PEI, it is midnight (next day) in Beijing; 8:00 a.m. in Vancouver; and 11:00 a.m. in Toronto, Montreal, Boston and New York.

PEI Nomination Program immigration streams

Critical Workers

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Critical Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) if you are currently working in PEI. The PEI Critical Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill low-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of two years) job offer from a PEI employer in NOC skill level C or D(link is external);

• have worked a minimum of six months full-time for the PEI employer;

• have a valid work permit and legal status in Canada;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• possess a minimum education of secondary school;

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• have at least two years of full-time work experience or relevant education in the past five years;

• provide a language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4;

• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

International Graduates

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the International Graduate stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), if you graduated from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution.  The International Graduate stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer;

• have a valid post-graduate work permit and legal status in Canada;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution;

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered;

• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

PEI Express Entry

You can apply for a PEI Express Entry nomination for permanent residency through the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP).  Your nomination through PEI PNP will increase your chance of being issued an Invitation to Apply from the Federal Government. ​

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• meet the requirements of at least one of the Federal Economic Immigration programs:

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program;

  • Federal Skilled Trades Program; or

  • Canadian Experience Class

• create a Federal Express Entry Profile and be placed in the pool of candidates.  You can create a profile at any time through IRCC(link is external).

There are two pathways to permanent residency through the PEI Express Entry Category, depending on if you have a job offer in PEI or not.  Priority will be given to applicants that are living and working in PEI.

Skilled Workers in PEI

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Skilled Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), if you are currently employed by an Island employer.  The Skilled Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B(link is external);

• have a valid work permit to be working in Canada;

• have legal status in country of residence;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma (minimum two year program);

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• have at least two years of full-time work experience in the past  five years;

• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered.  Language ability can be verified by one of the following:

  • a language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4; or

  • Employer signed PEI PNP-L06 Employer Language Declaration; or

  • documents from an internationally recognized institution indicating that the principal language studied was in English or French.

• have sufficient financial resources for the applicant and family to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

Skilled Workers Outside Canada

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Skilled Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) if you have a job offer from an Island employer.  The PEI Skilled Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B.(link is external)  ​Important note: Through this stream your employer must first make contact with our office and the job offer must be approved by our office prior to submitting an expression of interest profile;

• have legal status in country of residence;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma (minimum  two year program);

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• have at least two years of full-time work experience in the past  five years;

• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered.  Language ability can be verified by one of the following:

  • A language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NLCC 4; or

  • Employer signed PEI PNP-L06 Employer Language Declaration; or

  • Documents from an internationally recognized institution indicating that the principal language studied was in English or French.

• have sufficient financial resources for the applicant and family to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

PEI Entrepreneur Stream

Work Permit Stream

The Province of Prince Edward Island has announced changes to the Business Impact Category of the Provincial Nominee Program. After September 20, 2018, the province will only invite entrepreneurs selected through the Work Permit stream as the 100% Ownership and Partial Ownership streams will close.  All candidates will continue to be invited through the Expression of Interest system and the draw schedule will remain unchanged.

If you are interested in immigrating to Prince Edward Island and would like to invest in and run a business, you may be eligible for a nomination for permanent residency through the Work Permit Stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP). This stream is for foreign nationals with business ownership or extensive management experience who would like to move to PEI  to start their business, and eventually become a permanent resident.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a minimum verifiable personal net worth of $600,000 which has been accumulated through legal and legitimate sources in your own right;

• have a minimum education of secondary school equivalent;

• be within 21-59 years of age at the time of application;

• have transferable management skills and past employment or business ownership experience;

• meet minimum language requirements equivalent to a CLB/NCLC 4(link is external); and

• intend to live and work in PEI while providing day-to-day active and ongoing management of your PEI-based company

• Attend an interview with staff from the Office of Immigration.

• Meet the terms and conditions of the Performance Agreement signed with the Office of Immigration.

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the International Graduate stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), if you graduated from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution.  The International Graduate stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer;

• have a valid post-graduate work permit and legal status in Canada;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma from a publicly-funded PEI post-secondary institution;

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered;

• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

PEI Express Entry

You can apply for a PEI Express Entry nomination for permanent residency through the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP).  Your nomination through PEI PNP will increase your chance of being issued an Invitation to Apply from the Federal Government. ​

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• meet the requirements of at least one of the Federal Economic Immigration programs:

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program;

  • Federal Skilled Trades Program; or

  • Canadian Experience Class

• create a Federal Express Entry Profile and be placed in the pool of candidates.  You can create a profile at any time through IRCC(link is external).

There are two pathways to permanent residency through the PEI Express Entry Category, depending on if you have a job offer in PEI or not.  Priority will be given to applicants that are living and working in PEI.

Skilled Workers in PEI

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Skilled Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), if you are currently employed by an Island employer.  The Skilled Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B(link is external);

• have a valid work permit to be working in Canada;

• have legal status in country of residence;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma (minimum two year program);

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• have at least two years of full-time work experience in the past  five years;

• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered.  Language ability can be verified by one of the following:

  • a language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4; or

  • Employer signed PEI PNP-L06 Employer Language Declaration; or

  • documents from an internationally recognized institution indicating that the principal language studied was in English or French.

• have sufficient financial resources for the applicant and family to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

Skilled Workers Outside Canada

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Skilled Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) if you have a job offer from an Island employer.  The PEI Skilled Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B.(link is external)  ​Important note: Through this stream your employer must first make contact with our office and the job offer must be approved by our office prior to submitting an expression of interest profile;

• have legal status in country of residence;

• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;

• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma (minimum  two year program);

• be between the ages of 18 and 59;

• have at least two years of full-time work experience in the past  five years;

• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered.  Language ability can be verified by one of the following:

  • A language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NLCC 4; or

  • Employer signed PEI PNP-L06 Employer Language Declaration; or

  • Documents from an internationally recognized institution indicating that the principal language studied was in English or French.

• have sufficient financial resources for the applicant and family to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) to be able to establish in PEI; and

• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

PEI Entrepreneur Stream

Work Permit Stream

The Province of Prince Edward Island has announced changes to the Business Impact Category of the Provincial Nominee Program. After September 20, 2018, the province will only invite entrepreneurs selected through the Work Permit stream as the 100% Ownership and Partial Ownership streams will close.  All candidates will continue to be invited through the Expression of Interest system and the draw schedule will remain unchanged.

If you are interested in immigrating to Prince Edward Island and would like to invest in and run a business, you may be eligible for a nomination for permanent residency through the Work Permit Stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP). This stream is for foreign nationals with business ownership or extensive management experience who would like to move to PEI  to start their business, and eventually become a permanent resident.

To qualify the essential requirements are:

• have a minimum verifiable personal net worth of $600,000 which has been accumulated through legal and legitimate sources in your own right;

• have a minimum education of secondary school equivalent;

• be within 21-59 years of age at the time of application;

• have transferable management skills and past employment or business ownership experience;

• meet minimum language requirements equivalent to a CLB/NCLC 4(link is external); and

• intend to live and work in PEI while providing day-to-day active and ongoing management of your PEI-based company

• Attend an interview with staff from the Office of Immigration.

• Meet the terms and conditions of the Performance Agreement signed with the Office of Immigration.