Most Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) across Canada have specific industries (sectors) and job types (occupations) that they prioritize when selecting people for permanent residence (PR). These are often the areas where the province needs workers the most.
If you are currently working in or have a valid job offer in one of these needed professions, your chance of getting a provincial nomination for permanent residence goes up a lot.
Provinces often select candidates directly from the federal Express Entry pool. They look for people whose main job matches the work they need in their province. Further, they invite these candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through their Express Entry-aligned streams (also called “enhanced” streams).
Well, if you receive a provincial nomination, you will automatically get 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points added to your Express Entry score. This huge boost guarantees you an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR in the next federal draw and allows you to benefit from much faster application processing times.
Today, we will discuss the top jobs for provincial nomination in Express Entry and which sectors and jobs each province prioritizes.
So, without further ado, let us begin!
Overview Of In-Demand Sectors
The table below gives a quick summary of which sectors are currently most needed across the provinces and territories for their Express Entry PNP streams or pathways. This high-level view helps you quickly see where your profession might be most sought after.
| Province Or Territory | Sectors Being Prioritized |
| Alberta | Agriculture |
| Aviation | |
| Construction | |
| Health care | |
| Technology | |
| Law enforcement | |
| British Columbia | Childcare |
| Construction | |
| Health care | |
| Technology | |
| Veterinary care | |
| New Brunswick | Education |
| Health care | |
| Construction | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Health care |
| Information and communications technology (ICT) | |
| Aquaculture | |
| Nova Scotia | Health care and social assistance |
| Construction | |
| Ontario | Health care |
| Child care | |
| Other | |
| Prince Edward Island | Child care |
| Health care | |
| Trades | |
| Saskatchewan | Health care |
| Technology | |
| Agriculture | |
| Trades | |
| Northwest Territories | N/A |
| Yukon | Regulated health care professions |
Throughout this article, we will talk about jobs using Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. Jobs are grouped into six TEER levels (0 to 5) based on the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities required. TEER 0 is the most highly skilled, and TEER 5 is the least skilled. For most Express Entry programs, only TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations are eligible.
Priority Sectors And Express Entry Streams By Province
For each Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) listed below, you will find the specific Express Entry-linked streams or pathways where working in a certain sector or job will give you a major advantage, increasing your chances of getting a PR nomination.
Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
Alberta has created several specific pathways under its Express Entry stream to target high-demand jobs. These pathways ensure that people working in these fields are prioritized for nomination.
| Sector | Stream |
| Agriculture | Alberta Express Entry |
| Aviation | Alberta Express Entry |
| Construction | Alberta Express Entry |
| Health care | Alberta Express Entry – Dedicated Health Care Pathway |
| Technology | Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway |
| Law Enforcement | Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway |
The AAIP did not specify exactly which jobs within the agriculture, aviation, and construction sectors are currently most in demand.
There are only three eligible law enforcement occupations:
- Police officers (except commissioned) (NOC 42100)
- Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services (NOC 40040)
- Police investigators and other investigative occupations (NOC 41310)
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
British Columbia uses its Skilled Worker streams to target specific, ongoing labour needs across several key industries.
| Sector | Stream |
| Childcare | Skilled Worker |
| Construction | Skilled Worker |
| Health care | Health Authority – Express Entry BC; and |
| Skilled Worker | |
| Technology | Skilled Worker |
| Veterinary care | Skilled Worker |
New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
New Brunswick focuses on filling long-term labour shortages in essential public service and construction sectors through its Express Entry pathways.
| Sector | Stream |
| Education | NB Express Entry – Employment in New Brunswick Pathway |
| NB Express Entry – New Brunswick Interests | |
| Health care | NB Express Entry – Employment in New Brunswick Pathway |
| NB Express Entry – New Brunswick Interests | |
| Construction | NB Express Entry – Employment in New Brunswick Pathway; and |
| NB Express Entry – New Brunswick Interests |
The province has not specified priority jobs within these sectors. This suggests that any TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 profession within the education, health care, or construction sectors has an equally good chance of obtaining a provincial nomination if they meet other criteria.
While these are the main priority sectors, the NBPNP has stated that it will continue supporting other sectors “when possible.” This means candidates in other fields still have a chance.
However, the province is not accepting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) with jobs or job offers for the Express Entry Stream if they fall under the following specific NOC codes:
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 12200)
- Administrative assistants (NOC 13110)
- Bakers (NOC 63202)
- Cooks (NOC 63200)
- Retail sales supervisors (NOC 62010)
- Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 60020)
- Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 60030)
Newfoundland And Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
Newfoundland and Labrador is another province where one can apply for top jobs for provincial nomination in Express Entry. The province prioritizes sectors key to its economy and public services. Candidates in these fields benefit from faster processing.
| Sector | Stream |
| Health care | NLPNP Express Entry Skilled Worker |
| Information and communications technology (ICT) | NLPNP Express Entry Skilled Worker |
| Aquaculture | NLPNP Express Entry Skilled Worker |
Eligible occupations in each of these sectors will receive priority processing and are exempt from provincial labour market testing processes. This makes the application process smoother and quicker for workers in these areas.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
Nova Scotia has focused heavily on two essential areas: healthcare/social assistance and construction, using several Express Entry streams to attract these workers.
| Sector | Stream |
| Healthcare and social assistance (NAICS 62) | Labour Market Priorities for Physicians |
| Labour Market Priorities | |
| Experience: Express Entry | |
| Construction (NAICS 23) | Labour Market Priorities |
| Experience: Express Entry |
The province is currently prioritizing in-province workers whose work permits are scheduled to expire in 2025. They also consider regional labour needs and candidates likely to stay in the province long-term. Moreover, foreign nationals outside Canada working in the above-mentioned sectors also remain a priority.
For the NSNP’s Labour Market Priorities stream for Physicians, applicants must have an approved job offer from a qualifying health authority and fall under one of these three specific NOC codes:
- General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102)
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC 31100)
- Specialists in surgery (NOC 31101)
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
While Ontario has not published a formal list of priority sectors like other provinces, based on their draw activity, two key areas are clearly in high demand and frequently targeted for nomination.
| Sector | Stream |
| Health care | Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priorities |
| Ontario Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker | |
| Child care | Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priorities |
| Ontario Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker | |
| Other | Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priorities |
| Ontario Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker |
Note: You can only be considered under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream if you meet a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 for all English language abilities and a CLB 7 for all French language abilities.
Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
PEI focuses on three key sectors where they face constant labour shortages, prioritizing those already living and working on the island.
| Sector | Stream |
| Child care | PEI Express Entry |
| Health care | PEI Express Entry |
| Trades | PEI Express Entry |
While these three sectors are officially identified as in demand, PEI has also stated that it may select and prioritize workers from ‘other key industries facing labour shortages.’
The province heavily prioritizes those already living and working in PEI with an eligible employer. The specific jobs within the priority sectors, as well as the ‘other key industries,’ have not been officially made public.
Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
Saskatchewan uses specific pathways under its International Skilled Worker and Saskatchewan Experience streams to target four important sectors.
| Sector | Stream |
| Health care | International Skilled Worker – Health Talent Pathway |
| International Skilled Worker: Saskatchewan Express Entry | |
| Saskatchewan Experience – Health Talent Pathway | |
| Technology | International Skilled Worker – Tech Talent Pathway |
| International Skilled Worker: Saskatchewan Express Entry | |
| Saskatchewan Experience – Tech Talent Pathway | |
| Agriculture | International Skilled Worker: Saskatchewan Express Entry |
| Trades | International Skilled Worker: Saskatchewan Express Entry |
The province has specified how it balances in-province and out-of-province candidates, i.e., 25% of its nominations will go to individuals from outside the province, and the remaining 75% of nominees must already be in Canada.
The SINP has not announced which specific jobs within the above sectors are being prioritized. You can, however, check the SINP website to see which jobs have sector-specific caps (limits) and which jobs are not eligible under the Express Entry subcategories.
Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
The Northwest Territories has a simpler approach, prioritizing skilled workers across any sector.
| Sector | Stream |
| Occupations in any sector under NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 | NWT Express Entry |
The NTNP has not announced specific sectors or occupations receiving priority selection in 2025.
The territory has stated that it will be prioritizing applicants who have a valid work permit and meet all other eligibility criteria. If you want to get an idea of the jobs they might need, you can look at the territory’s 20-year forecast of in-demand occupations that was released in 2023.
Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
The Yukon focuses on two main groups for nomination – those with ties to the territory and those in a specific sector.
| Sector | Stream |
| Health care | Yukon Express Entry |
The YNP has specified that it will be prioritizing Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from the following individuals in 2025:
- Those who have lived and worked in the Yukon for at least one year
- Yukon University Graduates
- Those who are francophone or French speaking
- Temporary Measure Letter of Support recipients
When it comes to specific jobs, the territory highlights that it will only accept EOIs from workers who can fill a position in a regulated health care profession (if the applicant is applying from overseas). They have not specified which health care jobs are and are not eligible.
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