Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia sent out invitations this week for candidates to apply through their state immigration programs. Most Canadian provinces and territories (except Quebec and Nunavut) have their own provincial candidate programs. Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for state nomination. Quebec's immigration program is administered by the province and differs from Canada's immigration program. Provincial nomination itself is not the same as permanent residency, but it is the first step in obtaining permanent residency from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Founded in 1998, PNP now handles over 80,000 PRs per year. The increase in PNP enrolment in Canada is seen by the federal and provincial governments as an effective tool to boost economic development in countries that already have large immigrant populations outside of provincial and urban centres.