British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) invited 52 candidates on June 29^th under the BC PNP Tech program to apply for nomination.

June 29^th BC PNP draw results: 52 invitations

To receive an invitation in this draw, candidates must have an eligible job offer in one of B.C.’s 29 qualifying tech occupation. To be considered, candidates must also meet the minimum Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) points, which may change from draw to draw.

The minimum SIRS score selected in this draw has remained consistent from past BC PNP Tech rounds of invitations this month. 

Express Entry BC categories (EEBC) minimum SIRS score:

• Skilled Worker: 80
• International Graduate: 80

BC Skills Immigration categories minimum SIRS score: 

• Skilled Worker: 80
• International Graduate: 80

BCPNP Statistics from 2020

This June, BCPNP released their statistical report for their nominee program in 2020. The report revealed a steady growth in the number of nominations issued by the BC PNP Tech program. Also according to the report, Tech program made up 29.7% of all Skills Immigration nominations.

In addition, the report found that six of the top ten occupations nominated in 2020 were the tech occupations:

• software engineers and developers
• graphic designers and illustrators
• computer programmers and interactive media developers
• professional occupations in advertising
• marketing and public relations
• information systems analysts and consultants
• user support technicians

What is the benefit of BCPNP Tech?

In response to a labour market demand for certain tech occupations, the BC PNP Tech program offers a fast-tracked pathway to foreign workers and international students that can fill this gap.

The BC PNP Tech programs holds weekly draws with consistently lower points cut-offs than non-tech draws. Those with a qualifying tech job offer also benefit from faster application processing times. Therefore, these candidates are in a stronger position to receive a nomination and more quickly than non-tech candidates.

Do I need an LMIA for this program?

British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) offers work permit support letters to successful nominees. These letters allow applicants to apply for a work permit. In other words, these applicants do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This is the result of a provincial-federal agreement that allows the province to issue these letters and bypass the lengthy LMIA process. However, BC employers must still fill a Job Offer form, which requires some details of the company’s recruitment efforts to hire a Canadian permanent resident or citizen.