The Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.) has seen a slight increase in the overall annual nomination allocation for its British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), with the figure rising from 5,800 from an initial allocation of 5,500 for 2016.

Earlier this year, the government of B.C. asked the federal government for a significant boost in the number of immigrants who can come to the province through the BCPNP. Though this modest increase is not as large as what was sought, it nonetheless makes the BCPNP the largest Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in Canada (by annual allocation), surpassing both the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) and the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), both of which published total allocation numbers of 5,500 in press releases this month.

It has been a busy few months for the BCPNP. In January, B.C. launched a dynamic intake management system that allows the province to prioritize candidates for provincial nomination. The Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) is a points-based system whereby candidates receive a score based on the information they provide upon registration. This score will determine whether a candidate receives an Invitation to Apply for nomination from BCPNP through the Skills Immigration and Express Entry B.C. streams.

In July of last year, a mandatory online registration system was introduced for all prospective applicants to the BCPNP Entrepreneur Immigration stream. A maximum of 200 registrations may be accepted per month, and the BC PNP will periodically invite the highest-scoring registrants to submit applications.

Together, these recent changes mean that most BCPNP streams operate on an Expression of Interest (EOI) / Invitation to Apply (ITA) basis. Some categories, however, remain first-come, first-served. Candidates interested in and eligible under the following categories do not need to register an EOI and may proceed directly to the application via BCPNP Online:

• Skills Immigration – Health Care Professional
• Skills Immigration – International Post-Graduate
• Express Entry B.C. – Health Care Professionals
• Express Entry BC – International Post-Graduate

The following categories operate under the SIRS, and candidates who meet a minimum score threshold are guaranteed to receive an ITA. It should be noted, however, that a candidate may still be issued an ITA even if he or she does not meet the minimum score required to be guaranteed an ITA.

The most recent round of invitations (also known as a 'draw') occurred on May 12, 2016, with a total of 381 ITAs issued across four categories. This is by far the largest total number of ITAs issued in any round of invitations so far.

BCPNP Invitations to Apply

To learn more about your Canadian immigration options through the BCPNP, or any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, please fill out a free online assessment today.