Someone confused by how Provincial Nominee Programs work — "how do I submit an expression of interest, and what comes before it?" — got a genuinely clear answer in this thread.
- First, create an Express Entry profile. This comes before everything. While creating it, you'll be asked whether you're open to interest from provinces — select all provinces (unless you have a specific reason not to).
- Then the provinces come to you. Each province reviews profiles in the Express Entry pool. If your skills or background match what they need, they send you a notification of interest asking whether you want to apply to their program.
- Respond and apply to that province. Only after receiving that notification do you formally apply to the province's stream. A successful provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points, effectively guaranteeing a federal invitation.
- After that, it's largely waiting. As one member put it, once your profile is in and provinces are selected, "it is just a matter of waiting."
- Don't expect a schedule. A key clarification from the thread: PNP notifications are not issued at scheduled times. Provinces open selections when they need people with specific skills or backgrounds — so gaps of silence are normal, not a bad sign.
Note: this describes the Express Entry-linked ("enhanced") PNP route. Some provinces also run separate "base" streams with their own EOI portals (e.g. Saskatchewan) that never look at the Express Entry pool — check the specific province's site if you're targeting one.