Severe labour shortages in Western provinces have resulted in some provincial leaders calling for radical changes in immigration procedures.

Western provinces are largely in the midst of a job boom, which is being hindered by a lack of available and qualified workers to fill new positions.

Leaders argue that traditional venues of immigration are insufficient and unable to accommodate the unique demands of each province. As a result, potentially valuable workers remain outside of Canada.

They also argue that the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) of each region are not expansive enough in terms of the quantity of immigrants being processed and the scope of regional authority. In British Columbia, a task force has been appointed to look into options for expanding the power of their PNP. Speaking to the Globe and Mail, he stated that "ultimately it would be nice to have what Quebec has. Failing that, we would like to have discussions with the federal government to let us have a greater share of the immigration process, in the context of the growth we are forecasting."