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Provincial Nominee Program

Changes BC Provincial Nominee Program

On March 10, 2022, many changes to the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) were announced. All changes can be found in the new version of the BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide that is now available.

Key changes, effective March 10, 2022, include:

  • Targeted invitations to apply will give priority access to select occupations in the care economy, specifically registrants whose occupation is on a pre-determined list of in-demand health occupations as well as early childhood educators.
  • Healthcare assistants and dental assistants have been added to the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category as eligible occupations.
  • Targeted invitations to apply (priority access) replaces the registration points awarded for high demand occupations in the Labour Market Outlook.
  • Periodic general draws will be conducted for other skilled and semi-skilled workers who meet program criteria.
  • Invitations to apply can be based on various factors that support B.C. government priorities.
  • The Healthcare Professional category has been replaced with the Health Authority category and is open to all occupations employed by a health authority.
  • An overview of Strategic Priorities & Initiatives has been added to the website. There are no changes to BC PNP Tech.
  • Workers in management occupations (grouped under Skill Type 0 in the NOC) may only register/apply under Skilled Worker categories; management occupations are not eligible under the International Graduates categories.
  • The requirement of two years directly related experience under the Skilled Worker category is replaced with two years of skilled experience. NOTE: Points are rewarded for directly related work experience.
  • Employer requirements are updated with new or clarified conditions.
  • Other changes to the Skills Immigration categories include clarifying or adjusting criteria, and updating definitions.

BC PNP Tech Pilot extended indefinitely

The BC PNP Tech Pilot just became BC PNP Tech. The BC PNP Tech offers people in 29 tech occupations a prioritized pathway to permanent residency.

BC PNP Tech helps employers address their talent needs by providing a fast-tracked, permanent immigration pathway for in-demand foreign workers and international students. The complete list of the 29 in-demand tech occupations can be downloaded from the BC PNP website.  The job offer must be for at least one year (365 days), and the job offer must have at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP.  More information on the BC PNP Website 

BC PNP Entrepreneur immigration – Regional Pilot BC

Recently BC announced a Regional Pilot as part of the Entrepreneur Immigration Stream to attract immigrant entrepreneurs to settle in smaller communities across BC.  To attract immigrant entrepreneurs to settle in regional BC the personal net worth and investment criteria have been reduced. Another measure is that the participating community must actively support the immigrant entrepreneur to ensure a better establishment in the community.  The pilot is initially for a two year period.  At this time the pilot is still closed as the enrollment of participating communities is still in progress. 

Ontario Immigration Act coming into force on January 1, 2018

The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration has announced that the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015 and its regulations to attract and retain global talent to promote prosperity and economic growth  will be coming into force on January 1, 2018. 

Further information about the Act, including what is new and what you need to know as an applicant or an employer will be available in January 2018.

Renewal Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program

manitoba

The Province of Manitoba announced several changes to their provincial nominee program to attract more immigrants:

The MPNP will be reorganized around four new or revised application streams:

  1. International Education Stream (IES)
  2. Business Investor Stream (BIS)
  3. Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream (SWM)
  4. Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO)

Each stream will include more flexible pathways to ensure that all provincial nominees are able to meet clearly defined labour market and economic needs in Manitoba. These priorities will be clearly communicated to potential MPNP applicants through a regularly updated In-Demand Occupations list.

Read more about on the MPNP website.

Alberta Opportunity Stream

The planned changes, including the January start date, is postponed in order for the government to continue conversations with affected stakeholders.  Prospective applicants can continue to apply under the existing streams. 

Effective January 2, 2018, the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP) will be making changes to its streams. The AINP will reduce the number of streams available. These changes will simplify application processes, reduce wait times, and make it fairer for applicants across all sectors and industries in Alberta. The AINP will also be more responsive to emerging labour market needs while supporting the goal of building a skilled, permanent workforce and a more diversified economy.

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