the CanadaVisa Team - 20 February, 2017
More and more workers, international graduates, and entrepreneurs are being given the opportunity to make British Columbia (BC) their new home. The latest British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) draws, which took place on February 17, saw a total of 459 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued, of which 19 were issued to candidates in the Entrepreneur Immigration stream. The remaining 440 ITAs were divided among various categories of the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC streams, which are managed under the province's unique Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).
The SIRS is a points-based system that allows BC to rank and select eligible candidates across a range of sub-categories. Some individuals issued ITA are now in a position to submit their BC PNP provincial nomination application through one of the enhanced BC PNP sub-categories aligned with the federal Express Entry selection system. The remaining candidates will have their applications processed outside the Express Entry system at the federal level.
Please note that the ITA with respect to the BC PNP is not the same as the ITA issued at the federal Express Entry level.
| Stream/category | Minimum score | Number of invitations | Aligned with Express Entry? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker | 91 | 84 | Yes |
| Express Entry BC – International Graduate | 80 | 106 | Yes |
| Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker | 91 | 106 | No |
| Skills Immigration – International Graduate | 85 | 102 | No |
| Skills Immigration – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | 65 | 42 | No |
| BC Entrepreneur Immigration Stream | 130 | 19 | No |
This stream of the BC PNP is aligned with the Express Entry system, and applications under this stream may receive priority processing at the provincial and federal levels. Consequently, individuals in this stream must be eligible for one of the three Federal economic programs — Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST) — in order to enter the federal Express Entry pool. Individuals in the Express Entry pool who have a provincial nomination certificate from BC receive 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which means the individual will receive in an ITA in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
The Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker category is for international skilled workers who have post-secondary education or training and employment experience in a professional, management, technical, trade or other skilled occupation. Candidates must be eligible to enter the federal Express Entry pool. This category is aligned with the federal Express Entry system.
Learn more about the Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker category.
International graduates who have graduated from a Canadian university or college within the past two years may be eligible to apply under the Express Entry BC – International Graduate category. Interestingly, this category is open to eligible graduates who graduated from a university or college in any location in Canada; it is not restricted to graduates from BC universities and colleges. This category is also aligned with the federal Express Entry system.
Learn more about the Express Entry BC – International Graduate category.
This base category is open to workers with post-secondary education or training and employment experience in a skilled occupation. A job offer is required.
Learn more about the Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker category.
This category is for international students who have graduated from a Canadian university or college within two years of applying to the BC PNP. While applicants do not necessarily need prior work experience, applicants are required to obtain a job offer from a B.C. employer.
Learn more about the Skills Immigration – International Graduate category.
This category is open to candidates who may not be eligible for other Canadian immigration programs, as it allows certain non-skilled workers to apply for permanent residence. Candidates must work in an eligible occupation within the tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking, or food processing industries, or in a NOC skill level C or D occupation in the Northeast Development Region of the province.
Learn more about the Skills Immigration – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category.
This stream provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for experienced business people who can establish themselves in BC and invest in and operate a commercially viable business that can provide significant benefits to the provincial economy. Successful applicants will obtain a work permit and, if the business operation in BC fulfills the requirements of the stream on an ongoing basis, they will be able to apply for permanent residence in Canada through the BC PNP.
Learn more about the Entrepreneur Immigration stream.
Candidates who achieve or exceed the following registration scores will receive an Invitation to Apply in the next draw for his or her chosen category.
