Over the past week, British Columbia (B.C.), Quebec, and Prince Edward Island (PEI) extended invitations to candidates for their respective provincial immigration programs.
B.C. and PEI used their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to select candidates, which is possible because immigration is a shared responsibility between Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the provinces. Each year, IRCC allocates a specific number of nominations to the provinces, who then choose candidates that best fit their economic needs and are likely to integrate successfully into their local economies.
Each Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has different streams tailored to candidates with various eligibility criteria, such as international graduates, specific occupations, or those willing to work in rural areas. Provinces often use a scoring system similar to the federal Comprehensive Ranking System to evaluate candidates.
Quebec operates differently, with its own agreement with the federal government, allowing full control over economic immigration selection.
Provincial Immigration Results (August 17-23)
British Columbia
On August 20, B.C. invited 156 candidates through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The province conducted four separate draws under the Skilled Immigration category, including a general draw that invited 83 candidates from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, and Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled streams. Most candidates required a score of 130, except for Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled candidates, who needed a score of 110.
In addition to the general draw, British Columbia held three occupation-specific draws for Skilled Worker and International Graduate candidates. The results were as follows:
38 invitations to candidates in childcare occupations with a minimum score of 85.
20 invitations to candidates in construction occupations with a minimum score of 89.
15 invitations to candidates in healthcare occupations with a minimum score of 99.
Quebec
Quebec retroactively released the results of an August 8 draw, where 1,415 candidates were invited to apply for permanent selection under the Regular Skilled Worker Program. Candidates needed a minimum score of 576 points and level 7 oral proficiency in French.
Prince Edward Island
On August 22, PEI invited 57 candidates through the Labour and Express Entry stream of the PEI PNP. This marked the first draw in over a month.
To be considered in the PEI draw, candidates needed to be currently employed in the province’s healthcare and construction sectors. Additionally, the province considered those with work permits expiring in 2024, particularly in traditional sectors like tourism, agriculture, fisheries, as well as the trucking and transport industries.