British Columbia has invited 448 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination so far in 2021.

British Columbia invited 195 immigration candidates through a provincial nominee program draw held on January 19, 2021.

The new invitations went to candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams, specifically the Skilled Worker, International Graduate as well as the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled categories.

The minimum scores for this draw ranged between 80 and 106 points.

The EEBC category is for candidates with a valid profile in the federal government’s Express Entry system, which is Canada’s main pathway for skilled immigrants who are hoping to obtain Canadian permanent residence.

The SI category is for skilled and semi-skilled workers whose occupations are in high demand in the province of B.C.

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) categories are managed under BC’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). In order to apply through the SIRS, eligible candidates are first required to register an account.  Once they complete that step, candidates are assigned a score based on factors like education, work experience and language proficiency.

Candidates with the highest scores are then invited to apply for a provincial nomination when BC holds another one of its frequent draws.

Categories that are managed under the SIRS require candidates to have a job offer from an employer in BC.

The following is a more detailed breakdown of the sub-categories included in the January 19 draw and the minimum scores required in order to receive an invitation :

• Skills Immigration: Skilled Worker: 96
• Skills Immigration: International Graduate: 96
• Skills Immigration Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled: 80
• Express Entry BC: Skilled Worker: 106
• Express Entry BC: International Graduate: 103

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the activities of certain sectors and businesses in British Columbia. For this reason, some occupations continue to be excluded from recent draws. A list of occupations that were not included in the last draw can be found on the BC PNP web page.

Candidates invited under the EEBC: Skilled Worker and EEBC: International Graduate categories, can obtain an additional 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and an Invitation to Apply (ITA) at a later federal Express Entry draw if they are successful with their nomination.

Express Entry is the federal government’s application management system. Express Entry candidates are given points based on human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English or French.

Express Entry draws continue to be held on a bi-weekly basis despite current border closures and travel restrictions.