British Columbia Issued 126 Invitations in Its Latest PNP Tech Draw

The Canadian province of British Columbia has invited 126 tech workers to apply for a provincial nomination in its latest tech draw on February 1. The applicants were invited under the British Columbia PNP Tech Draw, which is a stream under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). It is a pathway launched by the province to attract experienced, high-demand international workers to settle and work in British Columbia and fulfill the labour market requirements.

Immigration candidates who are invited through the British Columbia PNP Tech must fulfill the requirements of BC’s Express Entry and Skills Immigration categories, which are managed by SIRS.

In this draw, skilled workers and international graduates received invitations from the province with a minimum score of 80. The invited candidates have 30 calendar days to apply for the nomination.

British Columbia Tech Program

BC PNP Tech program was launched by the province to grow the technology sector.  This program enables the employer to hire foreign talent when there is a shortage of qualified workers locally. It is a fast-track pathway for in-demand tech workers and foreign students. Immigration candidates who wish to apply through this stream must have a valid job offer of at least 12 months with 120 days remaining at the time of application from one of the 29 eligible occupations to qualify for the stream. Also, the offer must be full-time and from an eligible employer.

The invitations are sent out through the province’s tech program on weekly basis to the top-scoring candidates who meet eligibility criteria. The invited candidates will be required to submit a complete application. Once this is done, the application will take two to three months of processing time.  Approved applicants can easily apply for permanent residence from IRCC under the PNP class.

The PNP candidates automatically get an additional 600 CRS points, which makes it a good chance to receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply) for permanent residence through the express entry system.