British Columbia (BC), Quebec and Prince Edward Island (PEI) issued invitations to apply for provincial immigration programs last week.
BC and PEI did this through their respective Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Every province and territory in Canada (with the exceptions of Quebec and Nunavut) has a PNP. They can adopt these programs because immigration is a shared responsibility between Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the provincial governments.
IRCC allocates a certain number of nominations to these provinces each year. It is then up to the provinces to select economically viable immigrant candidates who are seen as most likely to successfully integrate into the provincial economy.
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All PNPs have different streams for candidates with different eligibility criteria. For example, international graduates, candidates with specific occupation or work experience, or candidates who are willing to live and work in rural areas.
Most provinces have a provincial scoring system that is similar to the federal comprehensive ranking system, but candidates are evaluated at the provincial level.
Quebec does not have a PNP but instead has a separate agreement with the federal government that gives it full autonomy over the selection of economic immigrants to the province.
Provincial Immigration Results August 17-23
british columbia
British Columbia invited 156 candidates to enroll through the British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (BC PNP) on August 20. BC holds draws for candidates almost every week.
The province held four separate draws for eligible candidates under the skilled immigration category. The largest draw was general, meaning no occupation was specified, and invited 83 candidates from the BC PNP’s skilled worker, international graduate, and entry-level and semi-skilled streams. All candidates needed a score of 130 except for entry-level and semi-skilled candidates, who needed a score of 110 to be considered.
Three occupation-specific draws were also held for skilled worker and international graduate candidates. The results were as follows:
- 38 Invitations for Candidates with a Minimum of 85 Points in Child Care Occupations
- Invitation to 20 candidates with minimum 89 points in construction trades
- Invitation to 15 candidates with minimum 99 marks in Healthcare Professions
Quebec
Quebec has retroactively published the results of the Aug. 8 draw.
The Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) invited 1,415 candidates to apply for permanent selection through the Regular Skilled Worker Programme.
All candidates were required to achieve 576 points, as well as have level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in the French language according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de comptence en Française (Quebec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or its equivalent.
Prince Edward Island
PEI invited 57 candidates through the PEI PNP’s Labour and Express Entry streams on August 22. It was the first draw in over a month.
To be considered, candidates had to currently work in the healthcare and construction sectors in P.E.I. The province says those with work permits expiring in 2024 in the traditional (tourism, agriculture, fisheries) and trucking and transportation sectors were also considered.
Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration