Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 25, 2026
Thursday, June 25, 2026
As of June 9, 2026, PNP applicants in Canada can apply for bridging open work permits, employer-specific work permits, and spousal open work permits without waiting for their Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) — a confirmation email and proof of fee payment are now accepted instead. This measure runs until December 31, 2026.
On June 22, 2026, IRCC issued 955 invitations to PNP Express Entry candidates with a CRS cutoff of 730 — a significant drop from the 798–805 range seen in three PNP draws in April and May 2026, suggesting more candidates are now receiving invitations.
As of March 30, 2026, provinces and territories are now solely responsible for assessing a nominee's ability to become economically established and their intent to reside in the nominating province, reducing IRCC's role in these evaluations.
What You Should Do
- If you are a PNP applicant inside Canada waiting for your AOR and need a work permit, gather your PR application submission confirmation email and proof of fee payment, then apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), employer-specific work permit, or spousal open work permit at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/apply.html before December 31, 2026.
- If you are a PNP Express Entry candidate, check your current CRS score at canada.ca/express-entry. The June 22 draw had a cutoff of 730 — if your score is near or above this threshold, ensure your profile is active and up to date to be considered in future PNP draws.
- If you have a provincial nomination and are applying for PR, review the updated responsibilities at your specific province's immigration website to understand what documentation the province — not IRCC — now requires to demonstrate economic establishment and intent to reside, as these criteria shifted to provinces on March 30, 2026.
Sources
Topics Covered
PNP Federal-Provincial Authority Transfer: Regulatory changes effective March 30, 2026 transferred responsibility for assessing economic establishment and intent to reside from IRCC to provinces and territories; a valid nomination certificate now serves as sufficient proof of these assessments.
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: IRCC introduced temporary measures effective June 9, 2026, allowing PNP applicants and their spouses in Canada to obtain work permits using a PR application submission email and proof of fee payment instead of an AOR. The measures expire December 31, 2026.
PNP Express Entry Draw Trends: The June 22 PNP draw issued 955 ITAs at a CRS cutoff of 730, the lowest PNP cutoff since March 16 (742) and well below the 795–805 range seen in April and May 2026 draws.
More Provincial Nominee Program Updates
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 22, 2026
Jun 22, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 18, 2026
Jun 18, 2026
Provincial Nominee Program Update — June 15, 2026
Jun 15, 2026
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