British Columbia (BA) sends out 494 invitations to immigration applicants. This was carried out in two different PNP draws. The draws were held on February 16, 2021.
459 invitations in total were sent to candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams. These streams are of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP).
To be more specific, the issue of invitations were for candidates in the:
- Skilled Worker category
- Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category
- International Graduate category
These are sub-categories of SI and EEBC streams.
The minimum requirement for this draw was from 85 to 104 points.
Additional 35 invitations were sent to applicants who work as wholesale and retail trade managers. It also included foodservice and restaurant managers.
According to BC, the conduct of this draw was because both the occupations have a great number of registrants. This is within the BCPNP Skills Immigration Registration System.
There was also an announcement by BC that soon they will commence inviting applicants in several other occupations. These include hospitality, tourism, personal services, and retail occupations. This is because these jobs were being excluded from the recent draws.
In total, BC has held 9 draws so far. This brings the total number of invitations sent to 1,308 this year.
More about BCPNP
The main focus of the BCPNP is to attract foreign workers. These workers are in great demand in BC and these immigrants also wish to become Canadian permanent residents.
There are two immigration streams in the BCPNP. These include Express Entry and Skills Immigration. Both the streams are further divided into sub-categories.
Both of these streams are also managed by BC’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). If anybody wishes to apply through the SIRS, you need to register an account before proceeding.
After this, you will receive a score that will be based on several factors. These include:
- Language skills
- Education
- Work experience
Candidates who score the highest from each sub-category receive an invitation to apply for a PNP. They also receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency when BC conducts a regular draw.
Those who receive an invitation will have a maximum of 30 days to submit a completed application from the date of the invitation. This will be through the BCPNP online system.
After successful submission of the complete BCPNP application, you will receive a notification of the province’s decision. This will be within two to three months.
If your nomination is successful, you will become suitable to apply to IRCC for permanent resident status. This will be under the Provincial Nominee Class.
This nomination will be valid for around six months from the confirmation date.
EE BC Stream
The EEBC stream basically connects to the federal EE immigration application management system. EE applicants receive points that are based on various human capital factors. These include:
- Work experience
- Age
- Language proficiency in French or English
- Education
These are under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). They are also required to meet the minimum criteria for any one of the IRCC’s EE programs:
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Canadian Experience Class
As one of the provincial nominees, you will have to obtain an extra 600 points under the CRS. This will help you get a high score to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the forthcoming EE draw.
Canada continues to hold EE draws on a regular basis. This is despite the ongoing travel restrictions and border closures. Last Saturday, an unprecedented major EE draw was held by IRCC. They sent out a record 27,332 EE invitations to applicants in a single day.
Get in touch with us on WhatsApp or Call us at 905-671-4442. You may even email us at info@immigrationterminal.ca if you have any queries about your PNP application.