Draw details: largest single round of the year

The Prince Edward Island Office of Immigration confirmed that the April 16 draw sent out 127 invitations to qualifying provincial nominee candidates, marking the largest single selection round held so far in 2026. The invitations were extended through two streams — Labour Impact and PEI Express Entry — which remain the only two pathways the province has activated this year.

The draw continues the approach PEI has followed throughout 2026: targeting candidates who are currently employed in the province in high-impact sectors and priority occupations. Workers in healthcare, manufacturing, skilled trades and other fields considered central to the island's economic development were the primary focus of the round.

Within that pool of in-province workers, international graduates from the following three PEI post-secondary institutions received additional priority:

• University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI);
• Holland College; and
• Collège de l'Île.

Notably, PEI has applied identical selection criteria across all four draws held so far in 2026, underscoring the province's sustained focus on workers already living and working on the island and on retaining the international students it educates.

In terms of timing, the April 16 draw took place precisely on the date set out in the province's 2026 invitation-to-apply schedule — a document that lists tentative dates for every round of the year and makes PEI one of the more transparent provinces in Canada on this front. By contrast, the province's March 20 draw was held one day later than originally scheduled.

Including the 127 invitations issued in this round, Prince Edward Island has now extended a total of 363 invitations to candidates in 2026.

How to be considered through the PEI PNP

Candidates who wish to immigrate through the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) must first register an account on the province's official website and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for assessment by the Office of Immigration.

The province's immigration officers rank each profile based on how likely the candidate is to meet local economic and labour market needs. The assessment takes into account a range of factors, including:

• Language proficiency: ability in English or French;
• Education: level of schooling, field of study and location where the credential was completed;
• Skill level and work experience: the candidate's occupational skill level and relevant years of experience;
• Strategic priorities: attributes that directly address urgent labour shortages in the province; and
• Other factors related to employment prospects: including, but not limited to, holding a job offer from a PEI employer and/or having prior Canadian work experience.

After submitting a profile, candidates can log in to the EOI system at any time to check their status, with any changes shown on the home screen.

Those who receive an invitation must submit a complete application for provincial nomination within 30 calendar days — a noticeably tighter window compared with the previous 60 days, placing greater emphasis on candidates' readiness to move quickly.

Once a provincial nomination is issued, the candidate can then apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR) and move into the federal stage of processing.