the CanadaVisa Team - 28 September, 2016
The province of British Columbia continues to be a leader on the immigration front, with 647 candidates having been issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) in a draw that took place on September 27, 2016. A wide range of workers, international graduates, and entrepreneurs are now in a position to submit an application for a provincial nomination certificate to the BC PNP, after which they may apply to the federal government for permanent resident status.
The vast majority of ITAs were issued to candidates in categories under the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS), with the remaining ITAs issued to candidates in the Entrepreneur Immigration stream pool. The SIRS is a dynamic intake management system that allows the province to prioritize candidates for provincial nomination. As it is a points-based system, candidates receive a score based on the information they provide upon registration. This score will determine whether a candidate receives an ITA when a draw is performed.
Certain BC PNP categories that operate under the SIRS are aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system, while applications made to certain other categories are processed entirely outside the Express Entry system. These latter categories are collectively known as 'base' categories, as opposed to 'enhanced' categories that are aligned with Express Entry.
The September 27 draw is noteworthy in the fact that the minimum point requirement decreased for each SIRS category, in some cases substantially. Moreover, the number of ITAs issued increased from 477 (in the September 15 draw) to 647 this time around. The only category that saw an increase in the minimum point requirement was the BC Entrepreneur Immigration Stream.
On September 27, the BC PNP issued ITAs across the following categories. Further details on these categories are available below the table.
| Stream/Category | Minimum Score | Points difference from previous draw | Number of Invitations | Aligned with Express Entry? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker | 90 | -5 | 104 | Yes |
| Express Entry BC – International Graduate | 85 | -5 | 124 | Yes |
| Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker | 90 | -5 | 73 | No |
| Skills Immigration – International Graduate | 90 | -10 | 155 | No |
| Skills Immigration – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | 60 | -20 | 181 | No |
| BC Entrepreneur Immigration Stream* | 133 | +5 | 10 | No |
(*The September 15 draw did not issue ITAs under the BC Entrepreneur Immigration Stream. Therefore, the points difference noted for this category is from the August 24 draw, which was the last time ITAs were issued for this category.)
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. A successful application under this category results in the candidate receiving 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and a subsequent ITA at the federal level.
To learn more about the Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker category, click here.
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.
To learn more about the Express Entry BC – International Graduate category, click here.
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.
To learn more about the Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker category, click here.
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.
To learn more about the Skills Immigration – International Graduate category, click here.
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.
To learn more about the Skills Immigration – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category, click here.
This stream provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for experienced businesspeople who can establish themselves in B.C. 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 British Columbia 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.
To learn more about the Entrepreneur Immigration stream, click here.
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.
