The British Columbia Nominee Program (BC PNP) held two separate draws on April 19, 2022. One was a general draw which included tech occupations. The other draw targeted the occupations in childcare, healthcare, and other priority occupations (NOCs 3114, 3213, etc).

In the general draw, a total of 147 invitations were issued. Candidates who received invitations to apply (ITAs) in this draw include skilled workers category, Skilled Worker – EEBC, International Graduate, International Graduate – EEBC, Entry Level, and Semi-Skilled subcategories. Provincial score requirements ranged from 70 to 125, depending on the category.

Meanwhile the targeted draw issued invitations to more than 27 candidates in three different categories:

• Skilled workers and international graduates with a minimum score of 70 points, received 20 invitations in a draw targeting Early childhood educators and assistants under NOC 4214.
• In the draw targeting healthcare workers, 7 invitations were issued. It included skilled workers, international graduates, and entry-level and semi-skilled worker categories, also with a minimum score of 70 points.
• The final invitations were issued to Skilled Worker and International Graduate targeting other priority occupations (NOCs 3114, 3213) with a minimum score of 70. The number of invitations were listed as ‘less than 5’ to protect the identity of those who were invited.

How British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) works?

The BC PNP is administered in partnership with the federal government in accordance with the 2015 Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement (CBCIA). The Government of Canada allocates a limited number of nominations each year for British Columbia. The Provincial Immigration Programs Act (Act) and the Provincial Immigration Programs Regulation (Regulation) governs provincial administration of the BC PNP.

The BC PNP Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC streams are intended for workers or international graduates with skills, education and/or experience required for high-demand occupations in British Columbia. To apply for the Skills Immigration or Express Entry BC categories, candidates must first create a profile through BC PNP’s online portal and register under its Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).

If approved as a provincial nominee, the candidate and dependent family members can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to become a permanent resident of Canada. The province’s Tech pilot program sends out weekly invitations to top scoring candidates who meet the eligibility requirement.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an electronic selection system used by the Federal as well as Provincial governments of Canada [to select], as well as designated Canadian employers [to nominate] candidates for Canadian permanent residence under three of its popular economic [skilled] immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), 
• Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), and
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Candidates eligible for any of the above programs are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in the Express Entry Pool. It is based on their Core/Human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability in English and/or French, etc. And, based on scores, candidates are periodically invited (or nominated) for permanent residence. 

Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn more about ways to find a new job in Canada, making your initial days in Canada stress-free and confident.