British Columbia welcomed 444 immigration applicants to participate in the two Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) held on March 2 to get a visa of Canada.
Invitations were given to applicants from Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and the Skills Immigration (SI). Specifically, those who obtained invitations came from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Sub-categories of the SI and EEBC sources.
The minimum score for the most significant draw was between 83 and 97 points for PR Canada. A total of 418 people were invited to this draw. There was also a separate draw for retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621) and restaurant and foodservice managers (NOC 0631), where 26 invitations were given to applicants with scores of at least 118.
The province has now hosted 11 invitation rounds, taking the total number of invitations given to 1,839 by 2021.
Visa of Canada – About the BC PNP
The BC PNP’s objective is to recruit international workers in high demand in the province and who would like to get a visa of Canada and become permanent residents of Canada.
The BC PNP has two immigration streams, Express Entry and Skills Immigration, divided into sub-categories. Both sources are regulated under the BC. Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). To apply via the SIRS, you must first register an account. If this has been completed, you will be given a score based on education, job experience and language skills.
The highest-scoring applicants from each sub-category are invited to apply for a provincial nomination to apply for permanent residence when British Columbia holds one of its regular draws.
If you have received an invitation, you will have 30 days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application via the BC PNP online system.
If you send a complete BC PNP application package, you will be informed of the province’s decision within approximately two to three months. If you are accepted, you will be eligible to apply to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status in the Provincial Nominee Class. The nomination is valid for exactly six months from the date of approval.
Express Entry BC stream
The EEBC stream is connected to the Federal Express Entry Immigration Application Management System. Express Entry Applicants are provided based on human capital factors such as age, job experience, education and language proficiency in French or English under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). They must also meet the requirements for one of the IRCC Express Entry programmes:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
As a provincial candidate, you can earn an extra 600 points under the CRS and then have a score high enough to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during a subsequent Federal Express Entry draw.
PNPs have continued to work during the coronavirus pandemic, and there is no indication that their operations will slow down in 2021.