British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island have issued invitations to apply to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) this week.
Interested candidates may be invited to apply for provincial nomination through a PNP in any province except Quebec and Nunavut. Those who receive provincial nomination may have an advantage when it comes to gaining permanent residence since it adds 600 points to the overall CRS score of an Express Entry candidate.
It began in 1998 with just 400 admissions and the annual number of PNP admissions has since increased steadily. Over 105,000 PR admissions now take place through the PNP per year. Both the federal and provincial governments see the program as a helpful method of targeting provincial labour shortages and spreading the economic benefits of immigration to all Canadian provinces instead of just a few urban centres.
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More recently, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held two Express Entry draws this month, including a draw this week, in which only PNP candidates received ITAs. PNP’s allow individual provinces to target candidates who have the necessary skills and education to help with local labour shortages and contribute to provincial economies.
Provincial immigration results February 11-February 17
British Columbia
British Columbia invited 183 candidates in a draw targeted for tech occupations on February 14. Eligible candidates in the Skilled Worker and International Graduates categories, including Express Entry candidates, received invitations. All candidates needed a minimum SIRS score of 83.
SIRS is similar to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) but is only used for British Columbia’s PNP.
Skills immigration in BC is comprised of five streams designed for people with a variety of skills and experience. Four of these streams also have an Express Entry BC option. The fifth stream is for Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled candidates, meaning they do not have work experience within an NOC code that is eligible for Express Entry.
The province also held rounds of invitations for candidates working in the following occupations:
- 29 early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202) with scores of at least 60 points;
- 20 healthcare workers from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, including Express Entry category, with scores of at least 60 points and;
- Other priority occupations, with scores of at least 60.
Saskatchewan
The first Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) draw for 2023 took place on February 16.
The province invited 177 candidates under the Express Entry stream, and 243 under Occupations-In-Demand stream. Candidates from both streams required a minimum score of 84.
The province also invited one candidate whose country of residence is Ukraine as a special measure in response to the crisis in Ukraine. This makes 468 invitations issued.
Prince Edward Island
On February 16, Prince Edward Island invited 222 candidates through the Labour and Express Entry stream of the PEI PNP. There were also six candidates invited through the Business Work Permit Entrepreneur with a minimum point threshold of 70.
Express Entry candidates who wish to be nominated by PEI must submit a separate Expression of Interest (EOI) to the PEI PNP.
PEI’s evaluates EOI profiles on a points grid and, like the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply through monthly draws.
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