Federal-Provincial/Territorial Agreements
Under Canada’s Constitution, responsibility for immigration is shared between the federal and provincial/territorial governments.
The federal, provincial and territorial governments meet to plan and consult each other on immigration issues. In addition, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has agreements with provinces and territories on how they share responsibility for immigration.
Each agreement is negotiated separately with the province or territory to address unique needs and priorities.
Some provinces and territories have comprehensive agreements with IRCC that cover a wide range of immigration issues. Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have this kind of agreement with IRCC.
Other provinces and territories have agreements that cover more specific issues, in response to their respective needs. For example, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon have signed Provincial Nominee agreements, which allow them to nominate immigrants to meet specific labour market needs. New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia have signed agreements to address regional labour market needs through the Atlantic Immigration Program.
More about the terms of each provincial/territorial immigration agreement is available here.