British Columbia invited 160 immigration candidates through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws held on February 22.

The province held two draws through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and invited candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams.

Invitations were issued to those from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate as well as Entry Level and Semi-Skilled sub-categories of SI and EEBC streams.

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The majority of the invitations, 145, were sent through a general draw. These candidates received invitations if they met the minimum score requirements between 77 and 125 depending on the program for which they are eligible.

Another draw targeted candidates whose occupation falls under NOC 0621 (retail and wholesale trade managers) or NOC 0631 (restaurant and food service managers). That draw resulted in 15 invitations with minimum scores of 125 across the board.

For a year now, British Columbia has been conducting a separate round of invitations twice a month targeting these two occupations. These separate draws are being held due to the high number of candidates from particular labour market sectors who are registered in the province’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).

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 of Canada.

The BC PNP has two main immigration streams, Skills Immigration and Express Entry, both of which are divided into sub-categories. These 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.

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

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