British Columbia is Planning to Suspend PNP Draws for a Month

Canadian province, British Columbia is planning to suspend PNP draws between October 12 and November 16, 2022. As Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to update its NOC system, the first major amendment since 2016, Provincial Nominee Programs across Canada are required to make some updates to ensure a smooth transition for applicants.

British Columbia PNP applicants who apply after October 12 will be discarded and will be required to make a submission again when the system re-opens again in November. If an applicant is invited on or before October 12, they will have 30 days to submit their application for a PNP draw, which will be assessed using NOC 2016 criteria. The provincial government mentions application processing times are projected to remain within the service standard of 3 months.

There are a few exceptions to the PNP draw suspension. BC will continue to issue ITAs under the Entrepreneur Immigration Program and applicants applying under Health Authority, International Post-Graduate categories may continue to submit applications until November 13, 2022.

Updates Under NOC 2021

Canada’s National Occupational Classification system plays a vital role in evaluating applicants who wish to immigrate to Canada under an economic class program, such as Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program. These programs aim at skilled immigrants who wish to join Canada’s workforce.

The NOC breaks down employment activities in Canada to understand the nature of the Canadian labour market, run government programs, encourage skills development, conduct research, and assist Canada to manage its immigration programs. About every five years, the federal government makes changes to the NOC and fixes the system every 10 years. Updates to the NOC describe updates to the Canadian economy and labour market.

Under the present approach of NOC 2016, classifying jobs is based completely on an applicant’s type of employment and divides occupation into four categories ranging from low-skilled jobs to management positions.

The updated NOC system will broadly divide jobs into six levels based on the latest Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) system. Statistics Canada describes that the latest structure will emphasize applicants’ transferable skills and abilities more than their occupational experience.