BC PNP Draw: 136 IT employees invited for a provincial nomination

The invitations were given on March 1 by the BC PNP Tech, a division of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is a technique of economic immigration used by the British Columbia government to recruit experienced, in-demand foreign professionals. Furthermore, the programme provides a road to permanent residency for anyone who wants to live and work in British Columbia.

Candidates selected through BC's Tech draws must fulfil the requirements of one of British Columbia's Express Entry BC or Skills immigration categories overseen by the Skills and Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Candidates who earned invites in this draw came from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and had to have a provincial score of at least 85. Candidates who have been invited to apply for the nomination now have 30 calendar days to do so.

The BC PNP Tech was started in May 2017 as a pilot programme in response to a labour market analysis that revealed that access to talent was the most pressing issue for BC's technology industry. Because of the project's success, BC made it a permanent programme. It is intended to allow British Columbia's technology industry firms to continue attracting and selecting overseas talent when qualified personnel are not available locally.

The BC PNP Computer, in particular, is a fast-track immigration option for high-demand tech employees and overseas students. To qualify for the stream, candidates must be registered in one of BC's existing provincial immigration streams and have a legitimate work offer for at least 12 months in one of 29 approved occupations.

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Job offers under the BC PNP Tech must be for at least a year, with at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP. It must also be full-time and from an employer recognised by the province. Invitations are distributed weekly through the province's tech programme to the highest-scoring applicants who meet the qualifying requirements. Candidates who are requested to submit an application for a provincial nomination must do so. The majority of technology applications will thereafter be processed within two to three months.

If approved, candidates will get a nomination confirmation letter from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which may be used to apply for permanent residence through the Provincial Nominee Program Class. Furthermore, PNP candidates gain 600 points automatically for their Comprehensive Ranking Procedure score, providing them a very good chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency through the Express Entry system.