British Colombia in western Canada is the hub of culture and diversity. Vancouver, the third-largest city in the country, is located here. People worldwide come to settle in British Columbia, mostly from South East Asia and Central Asia. British Colombia has a high number of international students as well as immigrant workers. The province has an abundance of forests and natural resources. The scenic beauty in British Columbia is incomparable to anywhere else. Canada is famous for its high mountains, natural lakes, and snowy weather. The summers are short and chilly, while winters are long and cold. Because of the great business opportunities, government policies, medical facilities, and a healthy lifestyle, more people wish to settle in Canada.
Through the Provincial Nominee Program, British Columbia targets the skilled labor in specified areas of work to come and settle down. The program is designed to attract the best pool of highly qualified technical professionals. There are two main immigration streams: immigration and entrepreneurship immigration, which have various subcategories. The express entry system is for speedy processing of the application from some selected subcategories. We have general workers, healthcare professionals, graduates, postgraduates, and semi-skilled workers under the skills immigration category. Except for semi-skilled workers, all are eligible for express entry.
In 2016 British Columbia also announced the Skills Immigration Registration System under which a point system would be implemented. According to points received, candidates would be called to apply. The score will be awarded considering educational qualifications, work experience, and other criteria. There are multiple pathways to enter and work in British Columbia or Canada.
British Columbia invites 74 applicants for the tech pilot draw
Exceptional candidates from the skilled worker’s program and express entry system have been invited for permanent residence under provincial nomination. The tech pilot draw is a lottery system for skilled immigrants, graduate immigrants on the waitlist. To get selected, a person must have a minimum score of 80 under their respective subcategory. The tech pilot program is for graduates and workers belong to IT and STEM fields. It was launched first in 2017 and has been extended till June 2021. To be eligible for the pilot draw, you must already have a job offer valid for the next 12 months.
The pilot program’s eligible occupation includes telecommunications, computer technology, mechanical and chemical engineering, data analysts, web developers, medical specialists, and authors or journalists. The tech pilot is undoubtedly aimed at attracting the best and most skilled workforce in specialized areas. Tech workers get access to relevant immigration information. The applications from 29 specific fields get processed within 3 to 5 months. It is tailored for the technology sector so that employers can quickly and legally hire immigrant labor. The most important thing to apply under this immigration scheme is to have a job offer in 29 specified fields for the next 365 days in a Canada based company. The registration is free, and you can also see your score online. The highest scores will be called each week to fill out their application. Application costs around 700$, and applications get processed depending on priority and vacancy.
Express Entry applicants who get nominated receive an extra 600 points to be added to their total ranking system score. Then they are eligible for the federal express entry draw. These are held twice every month, and they invite the most significant number of candidates for permanent residency. The last round held on January 21 was concluded with over 4600 selections for living. This is aligned with the government’s latest plan to invite more immigrants. British Columbia has hosted six draws in 2021, and they have invited nearly 1000 candidates for provision nomination up until now. All in all, it seems to be a hopeful year for immigrants in Canada.
British Colombia extends provincial approval to 230 candidates
Among the candidates who received this offer were 230 applicants from the PNP draw. People from both skills immigration and express entry were included in the interest. If you have the right qualifications and work experience, all you need to do is go on BC PNP’s online portal and register. More than 90 candidates were chosen from each subcategory except for entry-level and semi-skilled laborers at 77. Candidates selected are then cleared for permanent residence with IRCC and PNP. Due to Covid, specific sectors that weren’t a priority were left out. The health crisis, as well as the economic uncertainly, has impacted the decisions of the policymakers. However, Canada would be increasing immigration levels over the next couple of years.
The British Columbia provisional nominee program draws skilled workers from desired occupations to work in Canada. People from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China form the highest percentage of immigrants in Canada over the last few years through these programs. The express entry is another way to gain residence in Canada. The lotteries take place every two weeks, and most candidates apply through this program. There are plenty of categories and subcategories to divide the prospective candidates. They are scored relatively on the same parameters: salary, education, experience, and English proficiency.
British Columbia continues to invite workers and students from different nations. Canada has always welcomed immigrants with open arms for economic purposes or refugees from war-affected countries. Prime Minister Trudeau announced that the upcoming years would be a good time for people to apply for Canadian citizenship. Large scale immigration shall be facilitated to revive the economy. Immigrants contribute primarily to the economy. Also, international students are the leading resource through which the government hopes to fulfill its immigration targets. Some time ago, an extension on a student visa was announced to help students complete their work permit or residency requirements. The government is trying to improve the damage done in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, whose consequences remain.