You got PR through a provincial nominee or Atlantic program and moved provinces: can they take your PR?

By Sundeep S. Grewal, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation · Reviewed November 10, 2026

Published November 11, 2026

Sundeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2018, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Updated November 10, 2026: sections 87 and 87.3 of the Regulations, IRCC’s provincial nominee “after you apply” page, sections 40 and 44 of the Act and section 6 of the Charter checked that day.

Once you are a permanent resident, you can live anywhere in Canada. Section 6 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives every permanent resident the right to move to and take up residence in any province. Moving after landing does not, by itself, cost you PR. The question is what you intended before you landed. A provincial nominee must intend to live in the province that nominated them (IRPR s.87(2)(c)). If you never meant to live there, or had already changed your mind and didn’t say so, IRCC can treat that as misrepresentation.

Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, advises permanent residents on misrepresentation allegations and appeals; this guide is by Sundeep S. Grewal.

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What is the rule?

• Before landing: a provincial nominee must intend to live in the nominating province.
• After landing: you have the right to move anywhere in Canada.
• The risk: misrepresenting or withholding a material fact can make you inadmissible for five years (IRPA s.40). For a permanent resident, that starts with a section 44 report.
• Atlantic Immigration Program: you must “intend to reside in the Atlantic province that issued the endorsement certificate” (IRPR s.87.3(2)(b)).

Why this needs a lawyer

One lawyer, one file, every step:

• reviewing what you told the province and IRCC, and when;
• gathering proof of your plans at the time you landed;
• a response to a fairness letter or a section 44 report;
• an appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division if a removal order follows.

Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only lawyers can appear for you in the Federal Court.

What are my options?

1. Keep the records of your time in the nominating province: lease, job, pay stubs, school enrolment, and why you left (a lost job, family illness, a better offer).
2. If your plans changed before landing, tell IRCC and the nominating province or territory promptly, even if you already have your Confirmation of Permanent Residence. IRCC says you must tell it if you don’t plan to live in the province, and material changes must also be disclosed at the landing examination (IRPR s.51(a)(ii)). Since March 30, 2026, the province assesses intent to reside: IRCC may pause while the province decides whether to keep the nomination, and if the nomination is withdrawn, the application can’t go ahead under it. A genuine change of plans that you disclose promptly is not, by itself, misrepresentation. For the Atlantic program, a decision to settle elsewhere means you no longer meet the requirement for that endorsement.
3. If IRCC writes to you, answer the fairness letter with documents, not just a statement.
4. If a removal order is made, a permanent resident can usually appeal it to the Immigration Appeal Division.

Moving after PNP or AIP PR at a glance

Worked example: the nurse who moved to Surrey

Example. A nurse nominated by Saskatchewan lands in Regina, signs a lease and works at a hospital there for eight months. Her mother in Surrey falls ill, and she moves to care for her and takes a job at a BC hospital. She keeps her Regina lease, pay stubs and the hospital letter. If IRCC ever asks, those records show she meant to live in Saskatchewan when she landed.

Mistakes I have seen

• I have seen nominees move within days of landing with no records of any effort to stay.
• I have seen people sign a job offer in another province before landing and not tell anyone.
• I have seen people throw out their old lease and pay stubs after moving.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to stay in the province?

There is no fixed period in the federal rules. What matters is your intention when you applied and landed. The longer and more genuine your time there, the easier that is to show.

Can the province cancel my nomination after I land?

Once you are a permanent resident, PR is a federal status. The question becomes misrepresentation, not the nomination.

Will it affect my citizenship application?

An open misrepresentation issue can. Get advice before you apply.

Related guides

See our guides on a BC PNP nomination withdrawn or cancelled, misrepresentation for an undisclosed refusal and a CBSA section 44 report.

What should I do right now?

Gather your records from the nominating province. Write down the dates and reasons for your move while you remember them. If IRCC or CBSA has written to you, get advice before you answer.

Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.

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Sources (official)

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 87 and s. 87.3 (current to October 19, 2026)
• IRCC: Provincial nominees, after you apply (modified August 4, 2026)
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 40 and s. 44
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s. 6

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.