The Canadian province of British Columbia has held its latest round of invitations under the Provincial Nominee Program [PNP].

On April 13, 2021, a total of 4 draws were held by British Columbia under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program [BC PNP], commonly referred to as British Columbia PNP.

Those invited can now proceed to submitting their application for a provincial nomination through the BC PNP for their Canadian permanent residence.

The previously held provincial draw by British Columbia was a BC PNP Tech Pilot draw on April 6, 2021.

The latest BC PNP round of invitations included Canada immigration candidates eligible for the BC PNP categories of Skills Immigration [SI], Express Entry BC [EEBC], and Entrepreneur Immigration [EI].

An Overview of April 13 BC PNP round of invitations

Draw 1 of 4
Invitations issued: 21

[only to NOC 0621, NOC 0631]

Category Minimum Score
EEBC – Skilled Worker 113
EEBC – International Graduate 113
SI – Skilled Worker 113
SI – International Graduate 113
Draw 2 of 4
Invitations issued: 420

Category Minimum Score
EEBC – Skilled Worker 95
EEBC – International Graduate 95
SI – Skilled Worker 95
SI – International Graduate 95
SI – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled 79
Draw 3 of 4

Invitations issued: 6

EI – Base Category 126
Draw 4 of 4

Invitations issued: 5

EI – Regional Pilot 116
Note. – By NOC is implied the National Occupational Classification matrix. NOC 0621: Retail and wholesale trade managers, NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers.

Both the categories of SI and EEBC specifically target skilled workers looking to take up Canadian permanent residence and settle within British Columbia.

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The main difference between the SI and EEBC categories, however, is that the EEBC is linked with the Express Entry system that is managed by the federal government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [IRCC].

The SI category, on the other hand, runs independently and is not linked with the federal Express Entry system.

An Express Entry candidate that is able to secure a provincial nomination – under any of the PNP streams linked with the IRCC Express Entry – is automatically allotted 600 CRS points towards their ranking score while in the pool of candidates.

It is the ranking score, based on the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS, that determines as to which profiles are invited by IRCC to apply for Canada PR. It is the highest-ranked profiles that receive invitations.

The BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration [EI] category is targeted at experienced entrepreneurs that are ready to invest in as well as actively manage a business within the province.

There are 3 different streams under the EI –

Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category For experienced entrepreneurs that intend either establishing new businesses or taking over and growing existing businesses in BC.
Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot For attracting entrepreneurs – to the participating regional communities – for establishing new businesses in alignment with the economic development priorities of the communities.
Strategic Pilots For foreign corporations that intend establishing a subsidiary or branch office, strategically aligning with their core business, within the province.
The total number of BC PNP nominations available annually depend on different factors that include the annual allocation. For 2019, British Columbia PNP nominated a total of 6,550 for permanent residence in Canada.

BC PNP streams that are invitation-only
· Skills Immigration — Skilled Worker
· Skills Immigration — International Graduate

· Skills Immigration — Entry Level and Semi-Skilled

· Express Entry BC — Skilled Worker

· Express Entry BC — International Graduate

· Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category

· Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot

All streams that require an invitation have been included in the latest BC PNP round of invitations on April 13, 2021.

In 2020, a total of 9,310 Canada immigration candidates received invitations from British Columbia through the BC PNP categories of SI and EEBC.

British Columbia has issued a total of 3,441 invitations in the 23 BC PNP draws held so far in 2021.

BC PNP draws in 2021

Total invitations issued so far: 3,441

· Skills Immigration [SI]

· Express Entry [EEBC]

· Entrepreneur Immigration [EI]

Date Invitations issued Categories Details
January 5, 2021 168 SI and EEBC Certain occupations excluded.
January 12, 2021 80 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
January 19, 2021 195 SI and EEBC Certain occupations excluded.
January 26, 2021 81 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
February 2, 2021 208 SI and EEBC Certain occupations excluded.
February 2, 2021 8 EI Base Category
February 9, 2021 74 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
February 16, 2021 35 SI and EEBC Invitations issued only to –
· NOC 0621: Retail and wholesale trade managers, and

· NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers.

[Note. – This draw was conducted separately.]

459 SI and EEBC Temporary suspension on 31 occupations lifted.
Effective February 16, 2021, the BC PNP resumed issuing ITAs to the 31 occupations previously excluded from draws.

February 23, 2021 87 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
March 2, 2021 26 SI and EEBC Invitations issued only to –
· NOC 0621: Retail and wholesale trade managers, and

· NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers.

418 SI and EEBC Included the 31 occupations previously excluded due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
March 9, 2021 95 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
March 16, 2021 78 SI and EEBC Invitations issued only to –
· NOC 0621: Retail and wholesale trade managers, and

· NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers.

[Note. – This draw was conducted separately.]

428 SI and EEBC –
March 23, 2021 95 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
March 30, 2021 44 SI and EEBC Invitations issued only to –
· NOC 0621: Retail and wholesale trade managers, and

· NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers.

[Note. – This draw was conducted separately.]

330 SI and EEBC –
April 6, 2021 80 SI and EEBC Tech Pilot draw
April 13, 2021 21 SI and EEBC Invitations issued only to –
· NOC 0621: Retail and wholesale trade managers, and

· NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers.

[Note. – This draw was conducted separately.]

420 SI and EEBC –
6 EI Base Category
5 5 Regional Pilot