Second last week of June sees 1,231 new immigration candidates receiving invitations from Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta to apply for a provincial nomination. Candidates were selected from various streams and categories and may be eligible in IRCC’s draws.
Express Entry candidates in priority occupations invited by Ontario
Latest draw in Ontario targets individuals with work experience in priority occupations
On June 23, 2021, the province of Ontario issued 583 invitations to Express Entry candidates.
In order to qualify for the draw, candidates were required to have a valid profile in the Express Entry system and meet minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores between 464 and 467.
For this draw, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) only selected candidates who may be eligible under the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream and had work experience in ten priority occupations.
The occupations are as follows:
- NOC 0122 – Banking, credit and other investment managers
- NOC 0124 – Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
- NOC 0125 – Other business services managers
- NOC 0601 – Corporate sales managers
- NOC 1111 – Financial auditors and accountants
- NOC 1112 – Financial and investment analysts
- NOC 1121 – Human resources professionals
- NOC 1122 – Professional occupations in business management consulting
- NOC 3012 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 4163 – Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
Candidates are required to prove at least one year of work experience in one of these occupations.
If they are successful in receiving their provincial nomination, they will automatically be awarded an additional 600 points on their existing CRS score.
The additional points will dramatically increase their chances of being selected in IRCC’s next round of PNP-specific draw, such as the one held on June 23, 2021.
Selected candidates will then have the opportunity to live in Ontario, grow their careers in the province and become permanent residents of Canada before the end of the year.
Quebec holds new Arrima draw
Fifth Arrima draw of the year held in Quebec and 69 invitations issued
Quebec held its fifth Arrima draw since the start of the year on June 17, 2021.
A total of 69 immigration candidates who qualify under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP) were issued invitations by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).
Candidates who meet the requirements, such as having a valid job offer and language proficiency, can now apply for permanent selection.
They have 60 days to complete the application and submit all the necessary paperwork.
Immigration in Quebec works a little differently compared to the rest of the Canada. To be considered for the draw, candidates were required to register an Expression of Interest (EOI) on Arrima, the province’s online registration portal.
The EOI allows the province to know who is interested in being considered for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ).
When a candidate receives a CSQ they can then apply to become a permanent resident through IRCC.
Since January 2021, Quebec has held on average, one draw a month and has issued invitations to a total of 545 immigration candidates.
More draws are likely to be held in the coming months as the province’s goal for 2021 is to welcome up to 47,500 newcomers by the end of December.
British Columbia invites 395 candidates in PNP draw
5,730 candidates may become eligible for permanent residency after receiving nomination
Two Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws were held in British Columbia on June 22, 2021.
A total of 395 immigration candidates from Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination through British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).
In recent months, it has been typical of the province to hold two separate draws. One general draw and a second one targeting individuals with management experience in the retail, wholesale trade, restaurant and food service industries.
Under the general draw, the province issued 341 invitations to candidates from the following sub-categories under the SI and EEBC streams:
- Skilled Worker
- International Graduate
- Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
The minimum score requirement for these sub-categories ranged between 75 and 93.
The second draw for NOC 0621 and NOC 0631 also drew candidates from the SI and EEBC streams, but it was targeted for certain occupations only. Candidates had to meet a minimum score requirement of 109.
54 candidates received invitations in the second draw.
Since January 2021, British Columbia has been holding weekly draws alternating between PNP and Tech Pilot draws. To date, a total of 5,730 candidates have been invited to apply for a provincial nomination.
Tech Pilot draw will be held next week.
CRS cut off stays stable at 300 in new Alberta draw
A new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw was held in Alberta on June 22, 2021 and 184 Express Entry candidates received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination.
The CRS score of 300 for this draw was the same as the one held on June 5, 2021.
With the new draw, the total number of candidates who have been invited in 2021 by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has risen to 2,284.
For a few brief months towards the end of 2020, the province went on a temporary hiatus and was no longer holding draws. They only resumed at the beginning of this year.
The provincial nomination allocation for 2021 is 6,250, so Alberta has already met one third of its quota.
Due to pandemic related restrictions, Alberta was concentrating on only inviting candidates who were already living and working in the province.
This is no longer the case and the province has confirmed that adjustments have been made to the Alberta Express Entry stream.
Candidates who have a job offer from the province or have work experience in an occupation that will help contribute to the province’s economic development, will also be considered going forward.
Alberta is especially keen on attracting skilled and talented professionals as they look at their post-pandemic economic recovery.