It’s been a busy week as B.C. hits pause on Entrepreneur applications, Quebec implements big changes and provinces continue to hold PNP draws. A total of 778 new immigration candidates were selected under numerous streams, including French-speaking only! They can now apply for a provincial nomination.
Entrepreneur applications temporarily suspended in B.C. as province holds new draw
New PNP draw held in British Columbia under main immigration streams
On July 20, 2021, the province of British Columbia held a draw for its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and issued invitations to 383 immigration candidates.
Every two weeks, for the last five months, B.C. has been holding two separate draws under its PNP program. A general draw is held for all eligible candidates while the second draw has been targeting restaurant and food service managers as well as retail and wholesale trade managers.
During the general draw, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) selected candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams.
A minimum provincial score between 75 and 91 points had to be met to qualify for the draw.
Draw results at a glance (NOC 0621 and 0631 not included)
| CATEGORIES | MINIMUM SCORE |
| SI – Skilled Worker | 91 |
| SI – International Graduate | 82 |
| SI – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | 75 |
| EEBC – Skilled Worker | 90 |
| EEBC – International Graduate | 81 |
| Total Invitations | 323 |
For the NOC 0621 and NOC 0631 draw, a total of 60 invitations were issued to candidates who met a minimum score of 107 or higher.
Entrepreneur Stream suspended temporarily
Just before the two draws were held, on July 19, 2021, B.C. announced the intake of new registrations for the Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) stream would be paused temporarily.
This directly affects registration under the Base Category, a program for individuals who want to invest or manage a business in the province. The other EI streams – Strategic Projects, Regional Pilot and Skills Immigration, will carry on as normal.
Why the suspension? The provincial government will be taking some to evaluate whether the Base Category stream is meeting the province’s needs given the impact the pandemic has had on the province’s economy.
An update on the program’s status will be provided sometime in early 2022. The current suspension does not affect any applications already submitted.
French speaking candidates invited in new Ontario draw
Fourth PNP draw of the year held by the province of Ontario specifically for French-speaking candidates in Express Entry pool
French speaking immigration candidates with a valid profile in the Express Entry system were eligible in Ontario’s newest PNP draw.
The draw held on July 21, 2021 resulted in the issuance of 115 invitations to qualified candidates from Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) score between 461 and 467.
In addition to meeting the CRS score requirement, the FSSW program also requires candidates to meet the eligibility criteria for the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Canadian Experience Class and a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark of 7.
Because the FSSW is aligned with the Express Entry system, the candidates who were selected had to have an Express Entry profile created after July 21, 2021. The Notification of Interest (NOI) were issued by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
Selected candidates will be given 45 days to complete and submit their application for a provincial nomination online.
This draw marks the fourth one to be held by the province specifically for the FSSW stream. A total of 489 NOIs have been issued to date through the four draws.
Spouses required to demonstrate knowledge of French in Quebec Experience Program
When a spouse is included in Quebec’s application for the Experience Program, they must be able to speak French
The Quebec Experience Program (Programme de l’expérience Québécoise i.e. PEQ) recently went through some changes.
It was announced that as of July 22, 2021, spouses who are included in the application under the Quebec Experience Program will need to demonstrate they have basic French speaking skills.
Proficiency will be evaluated using the Quebec Scale of Proficiency in French for Adult Immigrants and a minimum level of 4 must be met. While the principal applicant must get a level of 7 or higher in listening and speaking.
The changes in PEQ
Last year, the PEQ was revamped and the new version went into effect in July 2020. While some of the new requirements and changes were implemented immediately, some others, such as the language requirements for spouses were delayed until July of this year.
The PEQ is a highly popular program and has two streams; one stream for international graduates and a second one for temporary foreign workers.
The spouses for individuals who had valid work permits on July 21, 2020 and who are applying under the foreign worker stream will not have to demonstrate knowledge of French as this change does not apply to them.
The logic behind implementing these changes is to ensure that newcomers who settle in Quebec will be able to contribute towards the province’s economy much quicker if they are familiar with the language and are able to assimilate easily with the culture.
New draw held in Saskatchewan: 280 invitations issued
Immigration candidates with work experience in specific occupations were selected in newest draw
A new draw was held on July 21, 2021 by the province of Saskatchewan.
In total, 280 immigration candidates received invitations from the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) to apply for a provincial nomination.
Candidates were selected from the International Skilled Worker category.
Of the 280 invitations, 84 went to applicants from SINP’s Express Entry subcategory while the remaining 196 went to applicants in the Occupations In-Demand subcategory.
In order to be considered for this PNP draw, interested candidates were required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) online and get a minimum score of 77. They also had to have work experience in one of the province’s 63 In-Demand occupations.
Finally, an Educational Credential Assessments had to be submitted to prove the applicant’s education meets the Canadian standards.
If the candidates are successful in their application for a provincial nomination, they will receive an additional 600 points on their existing CRS score which will bump up their profiles and is a near guarantee they will get selected by IRCC to become a permanent resident.
Given the number of PNP specific draws IRCC has been holding over the past few months, the coveted invitation may come sooner rather than later.