New British Columbia Tech Pilot draw issues 80 invitations

British Columbia has issued 80 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination in the second draw of the year.

The January 12 draw was conducted under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)’s Tech Pilot.

Immigration candidates with job offers in B.C.’s technology sector are invited to apply for a provincial nomination through weekly draws.

Candidates selected in the latest draw were from Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories under the Skills Immigration and Express Entry B.C. streams. Invited candidates needed a minimum provincial score of 80.

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Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from British Columbia receive an additional 600 points toward their ranking score and are prioritized for an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Last week, British Columbia was one of the first Canadian provinces to kick off the New Year with new invitations to apply for provincial nominations. On January 5, 2021, a total of 168 candidates were invited to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

During that draw, candidates were invited under the following sub-categories: Skilled Worker, International Graduate, and Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled.

The BC PNP uses a points-based system called the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). These points determine whether a candidate may be invited to apply in a given invitation round. The score is based on a number of factors such as level of education, years of direct work experience and having a B.C. employment offer.

Applicants who received an invitation to apply now have up to 30 calendar days from the date of invitation to submit a complete application via the BC PNP Online registration system. An invitation to apply does not guarantee that applicants will be approved for a nomination.

Introduced in 2017, the Tech Pilot provides a fast-tracked pathway to Canadian permanent residence for international talent with a job offer in one of the pilot's 29 eligible tech occupations.

The job offer must be at least one year in duration and have at least 120 days remaining on it at the time of application.

The BC PNP said the Tech pilot " supports the attraction of skilled workers and helps satisfy the demand for in-demand tech talent by expanding the province’s technology talent pool. "

The BC PNP Tech Pilot has been extended several times since its launch and is currently operational until June 2021.

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