The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program issued 44 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination in its latest weekly tech-specific draw held on August 15. Invitations were issued to qualified registrants with job offers in the tech pilot's 29 Priority occupations.
Skilled workers and international graduates who received invitations through an Express Entry BC category obtain 600 additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) if their application for provincial nomination is approved.
Skilled immigration candidates with a successful nomination from the province will have their applications for permanent residence processed outside the Express Entry system. Registration to the BC PNP Tech Pilot is free and requires candidates to provide information about their BC employer.
In order to be issued an invitation to apply, both the candidate and their employer must meet all program requirements at the time of registration.
BC PNP Tech Pilot benefits
While the majority of BC PNP candidates are required to provide proof of an indeterminate job offer, candidates in the BC PNP tech pilot are only required to have a job offer that is at least one year in duration.
The minimum scores for each category involved in the August 15 draw were as follows:
BC PNP Tech Pilot
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Tech Pilot allows the technology sector in BC to attract and retain the talent it needs to grow the sector further.
Launched in 2017, the BC PNP Tech Pilot came about due to the fact that the demand for talent in BC's tech sector is increasing faster than the supply. The initiative supports the attraction of skilled workers and to satisfy the demand for tech talent by expanding BC's talent pool of skilled workers. The BC PNP Tech pilot is being extended until June 2019.
How it works
The BC PNP will issue invitations on a weekly basis to qualified registrants who have a valid job offer in one of the 29 eligible occupations.
As of June 26, 2018, job offers under the BC PNP tech Pilot must:
• The job offer must be for one of the 29 eligible occupations under the BC PNP Tech Pilot;
• be at least one year in duration (365 days); and
• have 120 calendar days remaining at the time of application.
The process:
• Once a candidate has determined his or her category, he or she may register online and receive a registration score. Registration is free.
• Every week (subject to processing capacity), the BC PNP will conduct a tech draw to invite the highest-scoring technology sector registrants to apply.
• Invited candidates have up to 30 calendar days from the date of invitation to submit a complete online application. The government application fee is $700.
• The BC PNP will process the application on a priority basis.
• If approved, the applicant receives a nomination that he or she can use to apply for permanent residence.
• Individuals who have been nominated and who meet the conditions of their nomination will receive a work permit support letter that allows them to obtain or renew their current work permit allowing them to work throughout the process.
