The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) serves as a mechanism that empowers Canadian provinces and territories to select and nominate individuals who aspire to immigrate to Canada and, specifically, have a keen interest in settling within a particular province or territory. It's important to note that two exceptions to this program are the Northern Canadian territory of Nunavut and Quebec. Quebec, in contrast, has the authority to establish its own set of selection criteria for economic immigration.

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The primary objective of the PNP is to ensure the equitable distribution of immigration benefits across the vast landscape of Canada. Prior to the PNP's inception in 1998, a significant majority of Canada's immigrants settled in provinces such as Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. However, since 1998, there has been a notable shift towards a more widespread dispersion of immigrants throughout the country. This transformation is especially evident in the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) and the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador), which have experienced increased success in attracting immigrants, largely attributable to the Provincial Nominee Program.