Latest BC PNP tech draw invites 87 immigrants

British Columbia PNP issues 87 invitations to immigrants with work experience in a tech-related occupation for a provincial nomination for Canada PR Visa on February 23.

BC PNP tech draw invites immigrants from the pool of the immigrants who have applied under Skills Immigration – SI and BC Express Entry – EEBC. Invited candidates were required to have a minimum score of 75 points, which is five points lower than the previous tech pilot draw cut-off.

Tech Pilot candidates are invited to apply weekly for a provincial nomination. Candidates will have 30 days to submit their completed application through BC PNP’s online portal for provincial nomination.

BC PNP Tech Pilot was launched in 2017 (extended until June 2021) to provide a fast-track immigration pathway for skilled immigrants who have work experience as tech workers and international students.

For a candidate to be considered for the tech-pilot draw, they must have applied for a provincial nomination in any one of BC PNP’s immigration streams and have a valid job offer for a minimum of one year in one of 29 eligible professions under Tech Pilot.

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If the immigrant wants to apply under BC PNP’s SI or EEBC categories, they must create an online profile and register under SIRS – Skills Immigration Registration System.

All the profiles are then evaluated in the SIRS and are determined whether they will be invited in the next round of invitations or not. Scores are given based on the factors like B.C job posting, education, and years of direct work experience.

Since the start of 2021, Canada has been holding draws that only target PNP applicants to apply for permanent residence. This trend originated after Canada’s lockdown in March 2020 and continued into the new year. This is a way for the federal government to obtain permanent residence for immigrant applicants who are already in Canada, as PNP applicants likely already have ties to the province they plan to move to. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are also holding draws for the Canadian experience category only, given that approximately 90% of these applicants live and work in Canada.

The last Express Entry draw, held on February 13, resulted in 27,332 invitations to apply for permanent residence – the largest round of invitations since the system was launched in 2015. IRCC aims to admit 108,500 applicants from Express Entry as permanent residents by the end of this year.

So far in 2021, British Columbia has had seven draws in its various PNP categories and streams and has invited 1,395 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.