Year 2020 wound to a close with two final PNP draws. One was held in Manitoba for International Students and Skilled Workers and the other was a Tech Draw in British Columbia . A total of 246 invitations were issued between the two draws. B.C. starts 2021 by issuing 168 ITAs.
Manitoba PNP
On December 30, one day before the last day of a very eventful year, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) held one final draw and invited 188 qualified individuals to apply for a provincial nomination.
Interested candidates need to create and register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP in order to receive their invitations.
Candidates who were invited were issued Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) under one of the following three immigration streams:
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba;
- International Education Stream;
- Skilled Workers Overseas.
Each stream required a minimum EOI score, except for the education stream, which did not require a score.
The Draw at a glance:
| Streams | Number of LAAs Issued | Min. Score Required |
| Skilled Workers in Manitoba | 157 | 461 |
| International Education Stream | 18 | None Required |
| Skilled Workers Overseas | 13 | 718 |
| Total | 188 |
13 of the LAAs were issued to Express Entry candidates with a valid profile in the Express Entry system, proof of work experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations as well as a job seeker validation code. If any of these requirements are missing or not valid, the candidate’s application will be refused.
Under the Skilled Worker Overseas stream, only those candidates who were directly invited under a strategic recruitment initiative were considered.
Scoring higher than the minimum ranking does not automatically guarantee the receipt of an LAA, for various reasons, including the following:
- Invalid language test results or invalid language test number;
- Candidate did not send the correct invitation number even though they were invited under a strategic recruitment initiative.
Candidates who feel that they should have been invited should review their EOI profile to ensure everything is up to date with the correct information in preparation for future draws in 2021.
British Columbia’s PNP Draws:
Tech Draw – December 29 2020
British Columbia also held a final Tech Draw for the year under its Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for a provincial nomination to 58 eligible candidates who have job offers lined up in the technology sector.
The Draw at a glance:
A total of 58 ITAs were issued under the following categories:
- Express Entry BC:
- EEBC – Skilled Worker
- EEBC – International Graduate
- Skills Immigration
- SI – Skilled Worker
- SI – International Graduate
The minimum score required for each category was 80. In addition, candidates need to provide a valid job offer (lasting a minimum of one year) in one of the 29 occupations for the BC PNP Tech Pilot.
BC PNP Tech Pilot:
This high demand program is one of the quickest and most efficient ways of immigrating to Canada and settling in B.C. B.C. holds regular weekly draws and applications are processed quickly.
It’s the ideal program for tech workers and international students who have the required skills and background that B.C.’s tech industry is seeking.
To kick start the process, candidates have to create an online profile through the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Introduced in 2016, the system simplifies the selection process by ranking candidates based on the scores they receive for things like education, language proficiency and work experience.
Individuals who are ranked the highest receive ITAs in their respective streams and pools. The B.C. PNP can also nominate Skilled Workers and International Graduates who have profiles in the Express Entry system. Those candidates are automatically awarded an additional 600 points towards their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
B.C. PNP Draw – January 5 2021
Canada rang in the year 2021 by tackling immigration almost immediately as B.C. issued 168 ITAs to qualified candidates in a Provincial Nominee Program draw on January 5 2021.
Candidates were invited under the following streams and required a score of 77 to 99.
- Express Entry BC (EEBC):
- Skilled Worker – score: 99
- International Graduate – score 99
- Skills Immigration Streams:
- Skilled Worker – score: 95
- International Graduate – score: 95
- Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled – score 77
Like many of the draws held in 2020, some occupations were excluded from this draw as a result of the effects of the pandemic.
These two B.C. PNP streams and draws are geared towards skilled workers and graduates who have the work experience, the educational background and / or the appropriate skillset to contribute to the province’s economy and labor market.
Starting off the new year with a PNP draw highlights how committed Canada remains to its immigration plans. On average, Express Entry draws are held every two weeks so candidates are selected on a continuous basis.
If you are considering making a move to Canada, the timing could not be better! With an ambitious Immigration Levels Plan in place, Canada will be welcoming hundreds and thousands of newcomers this coming year.