British Columbia and PEI invite candidates in latest round of provincial nominations

Two Canadian provinces have issued invitations to apply for nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

The PNP was first launched in Manitoba in 1998 to help spread the economic benefits of immigration throughout parts of Canada where newcomers are less likely to consider when they immigrate. As of now, all the provinces and territories have PNPs (except Quebec and Nunavut).

Through the program, provincial governments can select economic immigration candidates who are most likely to successfully integrate into the local economy.

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Each province has a specific number of nominations it can issue, as allocated in the federal Immigration Levels Plan. The Plan for 2025 was released on October 24 and featured a significant reduction in the overall number of PNP nominations that will be issued next year, down from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000.

Getting nominated by a province makes a candidate’s permanent resident application much stronger. This is especially true for Express Entry candidates who also receive a provincial nomination as it adds 600 additional points to their overall Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. It is one of Canada’s most popular economic immigration pathways for newcomers seeking permanent residence.

Provincial immigration results October 26- November 1

British Columbia

On October 30, British Columbia issued more than 83 invitations to apply for nomination in the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

The province held one general draw, inviting 31 candidates from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled streams. All candidates required a minimum score of 134, except Entry Level and Semi-Skilled candidates, who needed a minimum score of 117.

B.C. also held four targeted draws for candidates in the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams in specific occupations:

• Childcare occupations: 20 candidates with a minimum score of 90.
• Construction occupations: 20 candidates with a minimum score of 96.
• Healthcare occupations: 12 candidates with a minimum score of 104.
• Veterinary occupations: Fewer than five candidates with a minimum score of 80.

Prince Edward Island

The PEI PNP invited 89 candidates in its Labour and Express Entry category. The province considered candidates currently working in PEI in healthcare, construction, and manufacturing sectors.

Two other candidates were invited from the Business Work Permit Entrepreneur category. These individuals had a minimum score of 92.

Over the past 12 months, PEI has issued 1,237 invitations to PEI PNP candidates, with 98% going to those in the Labour and Express Entry stream.

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