British Columbia provides an extension for BC PNP tech pilot

British Columbia is one of many Canadian provinces that is continuing with immigration draws amidst the pandemic. Recently, the province announced that the weekly BC PNP Tech Pilot draws will be extended for another year.

Why is the Tech Pilot significant?

This pilot program in British Columbia is responsible for fast-tracking the immigration process for tech workers belonging to certain occupations. The announcement, made on June 4, stated that the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Tech Pilot will now be valid until June 2021. This pilot gives foreign tech workers a pathway they can pursue to attain permanent residence if they have received job offers in any of the 29 eligible occupations within the province. The invited candidates have 30 calendar days in hand to apply for a provincial nomination once they receive an invitation.

Details to know:

It is important that the job offer promises at least one year of employment, and there should be at least 120 days left at the time of application submission. The BC PNP organizes the Tech Pilot draws every week so as to minimize the waiting time for workers as well as their employers. Both groups have to satisfy the program eligibility requirements.

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British Columbia gives priority to applications submitted for the Tech Pilot. After the employees submit a completed application, they will have a Tech Pilot processing team assigned to their file within the next business day. Hence, these applications are usually processed faster as compared to applications for other BC PNP programs that usually require 2-3 months from the time of receipt.

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Immigration candidates have to create a profile via the BC PNP’s online portal if they want to apply for the Tech Piot. They will be registered under the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS), after which they can choose either the Skills Immigration or the Express Entry BC immigration categories to move forward.