British Columbia’s latest draw for targeted and general PNP was held recently on November 28. Also, British Columbia issued 253 invitations to general candidates, whereas the targeted professions issued 75 invitations to apply.
All Canadian provinces and territories operate their Provincial Nominee Programs separately. However, Nunavut and Quebec remain exceptions to this case. The Provincial government uses the PNP, an economic immigration pathway, to nominate foreign skilled workers to move to specific provinces in order to confront the labor market requirements.
Canadian immigration programs comprise a new addition in the name of PNP. Interestingly, reports are rife that the Provincial Nominee Programs will soon overpower Express Entry by 2024. Furthermore, foreign workers will consider PNP as the primary immigration pathway to immigrate to Canada.
British Columbia’s latest draw- PNP outcomes between November 28th-2nd December
Reportedly, only British Columbia conducted a PNP draw and even issued more than 300 invitations to apply this week. Each stream consisted of different CRS cut-offs. British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program covered all streams of BCPNP, including the following-
- Skilled Worker; Skilled Worker- EEBC option.
- International Graduate; International Graduate-EEBC option.
- Semi-Skilled Worker Streams and Entry-Level.
Additionally, B.C. also conducted targeted draw-through streams for specific occupations that the province requires. They’re as follows:
- Early Childhood Educators and Assistants
- Healthcare Assistants
- Healthcare Workers
- Priority Occupations- Veterinarians and Animal Health Technologists Veterinary Technicians
Refer to the table below for the draw’s breakdown, including the Minimum CRS score under each stream:
| Date | Streams | Figure of Invitation | Minimum Score (CRS) | Description |
| 28th of November 2022 | Skilled Worker | 253 | 105 | General draw (includes tech occupations) |
| Skilled Worker – EEBC option | 105 | |||
| International Graduate | 105 | |||
| International Graduate – EEBC option | 105 | |||
| Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | 82 | |||
| November 28, 2022 | Skilled Worker, International Graduate (with EEBC option) | 49 | 60 | Targeted draw: Childcare Early childhood educators and assistants |
| Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (with EEBC option) | 24 | 60 | The targeted draw for Healthcare (unless specified) | |
| Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | <5 | 60 | The targeted draw for Healthcare; Health care assistants | |
| Skilled Worker, International Graduate (with EEBC option) | <5 | 60 | (Targeted draw): Other priority occupations |
NOC modifications and their impact
The previous two weeks witnessed only a single PNP draw. Toward the latter part of 2022, all draw-related activities have slowed down slightly. Furthermore, this is a result of the change in policy leading to a significant impact on economic Canadian immigration. The entire system is seeking to update the NOC codes.
On November 16, Canada brought about a major shift from NOC 2016 to NOC 2021. However, these changes are great for categorizing purposes. One must also not forget that 16 new eligible occupations are now on the Express Entry eligibility list.
Overall, the classification of jobs for economic immigration primarily takes place through Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Programs. For instance, British Columbia too shifted to the upgraded NOC system and made changes accordingly.
As a matter of fact, only three draws have taken place since this change came into existence on November 16, 2022. As expected, whenever the provinces in Canada will mend the programs with the new classifications and job titles, PNPs will resume their normal speed.
