B.C. invited 51 immigration candidates who work in key technology occupations to apply for a provincial nomination on August 10.

The new invitations were issued through the BC PNP Tech, which is part of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

Those invited through B.C’s Tech draws must meet the requirements of one of British Columbia’s Express Entry BC and Skills immigration categories, which are managed by the Skills and Immigration Registration System (SIRS).

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Candidates who received invitations in this draw were from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score of 80.

Invited candidates have 30 calendar days to apply for the nomination.

About the BC PNP Tech program

The BC PNP Tech was launched in May 2017 as a pilot project following a labour market study that found the biggest issue facing B.C.’s technology sector was access to talent. Due to the success of the project, B.C has recently announced that it would become a permanent program. The province has therefore decided to extend the BC PNP Tech pilot program indefinitely and rename it BC PNP Tech to allow BC technology employers to continue to attract and select international talent when qualified skilled workers are not available locally.

This fast-track immigration program is for in-demand tech workers and international students. Candidates need to be registered in one of B.C.’s existing provincial immigration streams and have a valid job offer of at least 12 months in one of 29 eligible occupations to qualify for this stream.

Unlike other BC PNP streams, job offers under the BC PNP Tech must be for a minimum of one year, with at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP. It must also be full-time and from an eligible employer in the province.

Invitations through the province’s tech program are sent out weekly to the top-scoring candidates who meet the eligibility requirements.

Candidates who are invited to apply for a provincial nomination will need to submit a complete application. Once this is done, most tech applications will be processed within two to three months.

If they are approved, candidates will receive a nomination confirmation that can be used to apply for permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Provincial Nominee Program Class.

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