On July 13, British Columbia invited 56 immigration applicants to apply for a provincial nomination in Tech draw; these applicants include candidates who work in key technology occupations in the province.
The BC PNP Tech is the program under which these 56 ITAs were issued. This program is a pilot project under the BC PNP (British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program).
To be invited through the BC PNPN Tech Program, candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria for one of the Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration categories of the province. The Skills and Immigration Registration System (SIRS) manages these categories.
The immigration candidates who received invitations through this tech draw were required to secure a minimum provincial score of 80 points. Furthermore, the Skilled Worker and International Graduate were the two subcategories these candidates were picked.
The candidates who received ITA under this draw are required to apply for the provincial nomination within 30 calendar days.
Introduction to BC PNP Tech Program
In 2017, the BC PNP Tech program was introduced as a pilot in response to a labour market study. This study highlighted that British Columbia’s technology sector is suffering due to the lack of access to talent. This program has shown successful results, due to which B.C. has recently announced that the Tech Program will continue as a permanent immigration pathway.
BC PNP Tech program is an immigration pathway for permanent residence in the province, targeting international students as well as in-demand tech workers. To meet eligibility for the Tech program, the candidates must:
- Complete registration in one of the current immigration streams for the province of British Columbia
- Secure a valid offer of employment in one of the 29 eligible occupations for a minimum period of 12 months.
Under the BC PNP Tech, the offer of employment must be for at least one year and must have a minimum of 120 days left while applying to the BC PNP. Moreover, the job offer must be from an eligible employer in the province and for full-time employment.
Invitations under the BC PNP Tech program are issued every week to the candidates who score the highest points meeting all the eligibility criteria.
The candidates are required to submit a complete application after being invited to make an application for provincial nomination. Usually, most tech applications take a processing time within two to three months after the submission of the complete application.
Once the application is approved, the candidates will be issued a nomination certificate, through which they can apply for Canadian permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Program class with the federal department of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).
