B.C. invites 494 immigration candidates, holds two PNP draws

British Columbia invited 494 immigration candidates in two separate Provincial Nominee Program draws held on February 16, 2021.

A total of 459 invitations went to candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). More specifically, invitations were issued to candidates in the Skilled Worker, International Graduate as well as Entry Level and Semi-Skilled sub-categories of SI and EEBC streams.

The minimum scores for this draw ranged between 85 and 104 points.

Another 35 invitations were issued to candidates who work as retail and wholesale trade managers as well as restaurant and food service managers. The province said it conducted this draw because "both occupations have a high number of registrants within the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System."

The province also announced it will start inviting candidates in the tourism, hospitality, retail and personal services occupations that it has been excluding from recent draws.

The province has now held nine draws, bringing the total number of invitations issued to date to 1,308 in 2021.

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About the BC PNP

The BC PNP aims to attract foreign workers who are in high demand in the province and who wish to become permanent residents in Canada.

The BC PNP has two immigration streams, Skills Immigration and Express Entry, both of which are divided into sub-categories. Both streams are managed under B.C.’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). In order to apply through the SIRS, you are first required to register an account. Once this is done, you will be assigned a score based on factors such as education, work experience and language skills.

The highest-scoring candidates from each sub-category are then invited to apply for a provincial nomination to apply for permanent residency when British Columbia conducts one of its regular draws.

If you received an invitation you will have 30 days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application through the BC PNP online system.

Once you submit a complete BC PNP application package you will be notified of the province's decision within approximately two to three months. If your nomination is successful, you become eligible to apply to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status under the Provincial Nominee Class. The nomination is valid for approximately six months from the date of confirmation.

Express Entry BC stream

The EEBC stream connects to the federal Express Entry immigration application management system. Express Entry candidates are given points based on human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English or French under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). They also must meet the minimum criteria for one of IRCC's Express Entry programs:

As a provincial nominee, you may obtain an additional 600 points under the CRS and therefore have a score high enough to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during the subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

Express Entry draws continue to be held on a regular basis despite current border closures and travel restrictions. Last Saturday, IRCC held an unprecedented major Express Entry draw and invited a record number of 27,332 Express Entry candidates in one day.

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