British Columbia welcomed 289 candidates

The BC PNP is intended to attract in-demand foreign employees who desire to become permanent citizens. On January 25, British Columbia welcomed 289 immigration candidates through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws. The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) held two draws, inviting candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams. In addition, invitations were sent to people in the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level, and Semi-Skilled sub-categories of the SI and EEBC streams.

The vast majority of the invitations, 264 in total, were distributed through a random draw. These applicants were invited provided they satisfied the minimal score criteria, ranging from 77 to 114 depending on the programme for which they were qualified. Another draw targeted candidates with NOC 0621 (retail and wholesale trade managers) or NOC 0631 (restaurant and food service managers). That draw yielded 25 invites with minimum scores of 114 across the board.

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British Columbia has been holding a different round of invites twice a month as part of their PNP programme since February 2021. Because of the large number of candidates from certain labour market sectors who have registered in the province’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS), these draws are being held. The BC PNP seeks to recruit foreign employees in high demand in the province who want to become permanent residents of Canada. The BC PNP has two primary immigration streams, Skills Immigration and Express Entry, both of which is further subdivided.

These streams are controlled by British Columbia’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). You must first create an account to apply through the SIRS. After that, you will be given a score based on characteristics such as education, job experience, and language abilities. When British Columbia has one of its regular draws, the top-scoring applicants in each sub-category are asked to apply for a provincial nomination to apply for permanent residency. If you were invited, you would have 30 days from the invitation date to complete an application using the BC PNP online system.

After submitting a comprehensive BC PNP application packet, you will get a decision from the province within two to three months. If your nomination is accepted, you will be able to apply for permanent residence status with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Provincial Nominee Class. The nomination is good for six months from the date of confirmation. As a provincial nominee, you may gain an additional 600 points under the CRS, giving you a high enough score to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a future federal Express Entry lottery.