Can a provincial nominee live in a different province after getting permanent residence?

This is a common question — and the answer is nuanced. When you apply for a provincial nomination, you are expected to intend to settle and work in the nominating province. IRCC requires you to confirm this intention, and some provinces ask for a commitment letter or signed declaration.

However, once you become a permanent resident, Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects your mobility rights as a PR holder. This means that, as a legal matter, no province can permanently compel you to stay within its borders. You have the right to move and work anywhere in Canada.

That said, the expectation of settling in the nominating province is taken seriously at the point of application. Applying to a province with no genuine intention of settling there is considered misrepresentation, which can have serious consequences including refusal or loss of status. In practice, most nominees do settle in the nominating province — at least initially — and mobility after obtaining PR is generally not restricted by law.

If your plans change after you arrive, there is nothing legally preventing you from relocating, but you should never misrepresent your intentions at the application stage.