British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba all held PNP draws the week of February 7 2021 in numerous streams and categories. A total of 911 immigration candidates received invitations across the three draws. More draws are expected to be held in keeping with Canada’s 2021 immigration targets.
74 Invitations Issued in B.C Tech Pilot Draw
B.C. held its sixth provincial nominee program draw earlier this week and issued invitations to 74 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. A score of 80 was required across all streams and categories. Selected candidates will have thirty days to submit their application.
The province of British Columbia typically holds weekly provincial nominee program draws.
On February 9 2021, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) held a Tech Pilot draw where immigration candidates from the Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration streams were invited.
Like the other Tech Pilot draws held so far this year, candidates from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories, required a score of 80 to be eligible for the draw.
A total of 74 invitations to apply were issued to candidates. They can now apply for a provincial nomination.
A fast-track way for tech workers and international students with in-demand skills to get Canadian immigration, the BC PNP Tech Pilot project was launched in 2017.
For now the program is expected to continue until June 2021. This may change as chances of the program being extended are high, since it has already been extended multiple times.
The eligibility requirements for this program are simple:
- The candidate must have registered in one of the province’s provincial immigration streams.
- The candidate must have a job offer that is valid for at least one year in one of the Tech Pilot’s 29 eligible occupations.
Interested applicants will need to create a profile on BC PNP’s online portal and register through the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). The profiles are evaluated and scored based on factors like education, language proficiency, work experience etc.
To date, the province of British Columbia has held six provincial nomination program draws in numerous categories and streams. The six draws have resulted in a more than 800 immigration candidates receiving invitations. If the trend continues, B.C. will likely have issue over 7,000 invitations by the end of the year!
New PNP draw held in Saskatchewan: 541 Invitations Issued
Saskatchewan holds new PNP draw and issues 541 invitations to candidates with scores of 72 or higher.
February 11 2021 saw another round of invitations being issued by the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
A total of 541 immigration candidates were invited through the province’s Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories.
Saskatchewan’s provincial nominee program is designed to attract and nominate those candidates whose skills, work experience and abilities align with the province’s labor needs and primary industries; fishery, forestry and agriculture.
The SNIP accepts applications under the following streams:
- Saskatchewan Experience Category;
- Entrepreneur and Farming Category;
- International Skilled Worker Category;
- International Graduate Entrepreneur Category
Draw results at a glance:
- Express Entry – 344 invitations sent
- Occupations In-Demand – 197 invitations sent
In order to qualify for the draw, candidates in the Occupations In-Demand sub-category, needed to have Educational Credential Assessments and also have submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SNIP. Applicant profiles are evaluated based on factors such as, language proficiency, work experience, education etc. and given a score out of 100.
For the February 11th draw, candidates were required to have a score of at least 72 in the SINP Points Assessment Grid. Candidates who are bilingual, are given up to ten additional points. Aside from these requirements, candidates also had to demonstrate work experience in a listed eligible occupation, which includes positions such as; advertising and marketing managers, sales managers, engineers and data scientists, to name a few.
While the Express Entry sub-category is linked to Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship and Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool, candidates were still required to create an EOI profile for Saskatchewan if they wanted to be considered for a provincial nomination.
The applicants who successfully receive the provincial nomination, automatically receive an additional 600 points on their Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS).
296 invitations issued in new PNP draw in Manitoba
Manitoba holds third PNP draw of the year and issues 296 LAAs to immigration candidates in three streams .
Following Saskatchewan’s draw, the province of Manitoba held its own provincial nominee program draw on February 12 2021.
This is the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program’s (MPNP) third draw of the year.
296 qualified immigration candidates from the Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream and Skilled Workers Overseas were issued Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs).
The Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Worker Overseas streams are ideal for candidates who have a strong desire to settle in Manitoba and have the required skills and experience to contribute positively to the province’s economic growth.
While the applicant does not need to be living in Manitoba at the time of application, for Skilled Workers in Manitoba, candidates do need to show proof of a full-time job offer from an employer in Manitoba.
Students who completed their post-secondary studies in Manitoba and have in-demand skills and experience are eligible to receive an LAA under the International Education Stream.
Draw results at a glance:
| Streams | LAAs Issued | Required Score |
| Skilled Workers in Manitoba | 240 | 514 |
| International Education | 23 | 676 |
| Skilled Workers Overseas | 33 | NA |
| Total | 296 |
Express Entry candidates with a valid profile in Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship and Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool received 20 of the issued LAAs.
Applicants who are interested in the MPNP need to register their profiles by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) online with the MPNP. The candidate’s profile is reviewed, ranked and given a score out of 1,000 points. The points are based on factors such as age, education, language etc. as well as the individual’s ties and connections to the province.
The total number of LAAs issued by Manitoba through the MPNP so far this year is at 786.
Alberta issues invitations to 200 candidates
200 Express Entry candidates with CRS score of 301 invited in latest PNP draw in Alberta.
Express Entry candidates in Alberta were invited to apply for a provincial nomination through the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).
The draw was held on February 10 2021 and a total of 200 invitations were issued to immigration candidates who had a score of at least 301 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The score requirement is almost 60 points lower than the previous invitation round held on January 8 2021.
In order to qualify for this Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw, candidates were required to have a valid profile in the Express Entry system. The 200 candidates who received their invitations are now eligible to apply for a provincial nomination under Alberta’s Express Entry stream.
Due to the challenges caused by the pandemic, Alberta is only considering applicants who are currently working and living in the province. The applicant’s required work experience will need to be in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic growth and development. Any occupation not listed in AINP’s Refusal to Process List can be considered for the draw.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) holds draws every two weeks. Candidates who successfully receive their nomination from Alberta will be awarded an additional 600 points on their CRS score. The last draw held by IRCC on February 10 2021 selected candidates with scores of 720.
In this case, an applicant with an original score of 301 will now have a CRS of 901 out of a maximum score of 1200.
Such a high score is a near guarantee that the applicant will be chosen during IRCC’s next round of invitations.
Last year, Alberta issued 4,000 nominations, the provincial allocations for this year have not yet been released.