British Columbia, Alberta and Prince Edward Island issued Invitations to Applications (ITAs) to candidates in a number of in-demand occupations through their respective Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs).
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) and the Alberta PNP – formally the Alberta Advantage Immigrant Program (AAIP) are the two largest PNPs in Canada. These programs provide immigration streams for experienced entrepreneurs, workers with in-demand skills, international graduates, and other newcomers based in and outside their provinces.
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Provincial Immigration Results February 10-16
Note: Provinces and territories apply different scoring systems for their PNPs independently of each other. This results in different scoring grades and criteria, which should not be compared.
British Columbia
This week, the BCPNP issued invitations through its Skilled Worker, International Graduate (includes the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option) stream. This stream targets international students who have in-demand skills for the British Columbia labour market.
The province issued at least 200 ITAs to skilled workers and international graduates in five different in-demand employment sectors. These were:
- Childcare – Minimum 60 points required to be invited;
- Creation – Minimum 75 points required to be invited;
- Health Care – Minimum 60 points required;
- Tech – which requires a minimum of 108 marks; and
- Veterinarian Care – Minimum 60 points required.
A complete list of in-demand occupations in British Columbia can be found here.
Alberta
On Feb. 6, Alberta issued 44 notifications of interest for candidates with professional healthcare experience through the “Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta Job Offers” — the equivalent to an ITA under the AAIP.
To be invited, candidates must have healthcare experience within the province and have a job offer from an employer in Alberta. The minimum cut-off score to receive an ITA was 302.
Prince Edward Island
PEI issued 121 Letters of Interest to Worker and Express Entry candidates in the PEI PNP.
Candidates considered were those who were working for a PEI employer and had a minimum EOI score of 65. Over the past 12 months, the province has invited 2,307 candidates, of which 2,253 expressions of interest were for labour and Express Entry candidates and 54 for business work permit entrepreneurs.
How can I increase my chances of getting an invitation under the PNP?
While many PNPs have reserved pathways for those who have some connection to the province (eg: graduating from a designated learning institution (DLI), receiving a job offer letter, or having a personal family connection to someone in that PNP’s province or territory) – all PNPs have streams for in-demand occupations that meet the labour market needs of their location.
Thus, newcomers seeking to immigrate to Canada may gain some special advantages by tailoring their professional experience to the province or territory that needs it. In fact, this is a major reason for the existence of PNPs across Canada. Provinces also post in-demand occupations to attract newcomers who can fill these critical labour gaps.
By 2025, the PNP will overtake Express Entry as Canada’s main route to welcoming new immigrants, indicating their continued importance to the country’s overall economic strategy.
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