On October 12, 2021, British Columbia held four Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) drawings, which resulted in the invitation of over 400 immigrants. In a regularly held general draw, candidates from the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP Skills )’s Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams got invitations. Invitations were sent to those in the SI and EEBC streams from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level, and Semi-Skilled sub-categories.
For that draw, the minimum scores ranged from 69 to 91 points. A total of 308 people were given the opportunity to apply. As part of the PNP programme, British Columbia has been conducting a separate round of invites twice a month since February. Because of the large number of candidates from specific labour market sectors who registered with the province’s Skills Immigration Registration System, these drawings are being held (SIRS). Candidates whose occupation falls under NOC 0621 (retail and wholesale trade managers) or NOC 0631 (retail and wholesale trade managers) were targeted in a second draw under the SI and EEBC categories (restaurant and food service managers). The draw yielded 101 invites with a combined score of 104.
While the province continues to invite and finalise applications from entrepreneurs, the intake of EI-based applications has been temporarily halted. The stream is now being reviewed, and the province hopes to make an announcement about its reopening in early 2022.
About British Columbia PNP
The BC PNP aims to attract foreign employees who are in high demand in the province and would like to settle in Canada permanently. Skills Immigration and Express Entry are the two main immigration streams in the BC PNP, each of which is separated into sub-categories. The Skills Immigration Registration System in British Columbia manages these streams (SIRS). Before you can apply through the SIRS, you must first create an account. After that, you’ll be given a score based on variables including your education, employment experience, and language abilities.
When British Columbia conducts one of its regular draws, the top-scoring candidates from each sub-category are invited to apply for a provincial nomination to apply for permanent residency. You have 30 days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application through the BC PNP online system if you have received an invitation. Within two to three months of submitting a complete BC PNP application package, you will be notified of the province’s decision. If your nomination is accepted, you will be entitled to apply for permanent residence status under the Provincial Nominee Class with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You may obtain an additional 600 points as a provincial nominee under the CRS, allowing you to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) at a subsequent federal Express Entry draw.