You Got PR Through a Provincial Nominee Program. Can You Move to Another Province?

This is one of the most common questions we receive at Gateway to Canada:

“I got my permanent residence through a Provincial Nominee Program. Am I required to stay in that province? If I move, will it affect my PR renewal or my citizenship application?”

The short answer is yes — as a permanent resident, you have the legal right to live and work anywhere in Canada. But like many immigration questions, the full answer requires context.

PNP residency obligation in Canada

When you applied under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), whether through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), or any other provincial stream, you declared that you intended to reside in that province. That declaration is not a formality. It is a core eligibility requirement of the program.

Provincial nomination is granted on the understanding that you plan to settle in that province and contribute to its economy and labour market. Your intention at the time of application matters.

Your Rights as A Permanent Resident

Once you officially become a permanent resident, you gain mobility rights under Canadian law. There is no regulation that locks you into the nominating province for a fixed number of months or years. You are not legally “trapped” there. However, if someone lands as a PR and immediately relocates to another province without making any genuine effort to settle in the nominating province, it may raise questions about whether the original declaration of intent was truthful.

In serious situations, that could lead to concerns about misrepresentation. While such cases are not routine, the risk increases when the move happens immediately after landing and there is no evidence of efforts to establish residence in the nominating province.

Is There a Required Number of Months You Must Stay?

A common misconception is that there is a mandatory one-year or two-year stay requirement. There is no official rule that sets a minimum number of months. What immigration authorities expect is good faith. Living in the province, working there, renting or purchasing housing, and establishing community ties all help demonstrate that your intention was genuine at the time you applied.

When it comes to PR card renewal, the legal requirement is clear: you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within a five-year period. The law does not require those days to be spent in the nominating province. If you meet the residency obligation, your PR status remains intact. Inter-provincial movement, on its own, does not invalidate your PR.

The same principle applies to citizenship. To qualify, you must accumulate at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada within the relevant period. There is no requirement to remain in the province that nominated you. However, if questions ever arise about your original PNP application, you should be able to clearly explain your circumstances and demonstrate that your intention was genuine at the time you applied.

This is consistent with what we discussed in our earlier post about leaving your employer after receiving PR through an OINP Employer Job Offer stream. The issue was not whether you could leave the job. The issue was whether your employment intention was genuine when you applied. The same reasoning applies to relocating provinces after PNP-based PR.

When Moving Is Reasonable

Circumstances change. Better job opportunities, family considerations, layoffs, health issues, or cost-of-living realities may legitimately lead someone to move. Immigration law recognizes that life does not remain static. What matters is that you did not misrepresent your intentions during the application process.

Provincial Nominee Programs are built on trust. The province supports your application because you commit to building your life there. Respecting that commitment — at least for a reasonable period — protects both your status and your long-term immigration goals.

If you are considering moving to another province after obtaining PR through a PNP stream, the timing and facts of your situation matter. Strategic decisions made early can prevent complications later, especially at the PR renewal or citizenship stage.

At Gateway to Canada, our approach is simple: long-term compliance over short-term convenience. If you are unsure about your specific circumstances, it is always better to seek proper guidance before making a move.