On January 4, the province of British Columbia invited 102 tech employees to apply for a provincial nomination.

The invitations were sent out through the BC PNP Tech stream of the Provincial Nominee Program in British Columbia (BC PNP).

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an economic immigration route utilized by the government of British Columbia to attract experienced, in-demand foreign professionals. The program provides a path to permanent residence for persons who choose to live and work in British Columbia.

Candidates invited through BC’s Tech draws must meet the requirements of one of the Express Entry BC or Skills immigration categories, which are maintained by the Skills and Immigration Registration System in British Columbia (SIRS).

Candidates in this draw were from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and had to have a provincial score of at least 80.

Candidates who have been invited to apply for the nomination now have 30 days to do so.

The PNP Tech program in British Columbia

Following a labor market assessment, the BC PNP Tech was established in May 2017 as a trial program, with the largest difficulty facing BC’s technology sector being access to talent. Because of the project’s success, BC decided to make it a permanent program. Its purpose is to allow firms in the technology sector in British Columbia to continue to attract and choose overseas talent when qualified personnel is not available locally.

The BC PNP Computer, in particular, is a fast-track immigration route for high-demand tech workers and overseas students.

To qualify for the stream, candidates must be registered in one of BC’s existing provincial immigration streams and have a valid 12-month work offer in one of 29 approved occupations.

Job offers under the BC PNP Tech must be for a minimum of one year, with at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP, unlike other BC PNP streams. It must also be full-time and from a province-approved employer.

The province’s tech program sends invitations to the top-scoring candidates who meet the eligibility standards on a weekly basis.

Candidates who are requested to seek a provincial nomination must complete an application in its entirety. Most tech applications will be approved in two to three months after this is completed.

If approved, candidates will obtain a nomination confirmation letter from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which they can use to apply for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Program Class.

PNP candidates automatically receive 600 points for their Comprehensive Ranking System score, putting them in a strong position to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence under the Express Entry system.