This week, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec granted nominations to immigration candidates via their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), or, in Quebec’s case, through unique provincial immigration programs.
Candidates were selected through various streams, including economic, humanitarian, and human capital avenues. Keep reading for a detailed breakdown of the outcomes.
Note: Each provincial immigration stream employs its own scoring system for internal purposes. Therefore, scores from one province’s PNP or provincial pathway should not be directly compared to scores from another province.
Provincial Immigration Results (March 22nd To 28th)
British Columbia
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) announced on March 19th its plan to phase out the International Graduate and International Post-Graduate streams, replacing them with three new streams:
- The Bachelor Stream: This stream will target candidates holding bachelor’s degrees from eligible post-secondary institutions, provided they have a full-time job offer.
- The Master’s Stream: Geared towards recent graduates with master’s degrees from eligible post-secondary institutions, candidates must secure a full-time job offer in a skilled occupation lasting at least one year.
- The Doctorate Stream: Designed for graduates and candidates enrolled in doctoral-level programs at eligible post-secondary institutions.
Candidates who have completed diploma or certificate programs in Canada, but don’t qualify for the new streams, may still apply through other programs under the BC PNP. However, they must meet a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 8 for the new graduate streams.
Furthermore, the BC PNP plans to raise the minimum language proficiency requirements across all streams (excluding the Health Authority stream) from what they were previously.
These changes are slated to take effect in January 2025.
On March 26th, the BC PNP issued a minimum of 127 invitations to apply (ITAs) to immigration candidates through its Skilled Worker International Graduate stream, which also includes the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option.
Invited candidates came from various in-demand occupations:
- 28 candidates working in childcare professions needed a minimum score of 85 to be considered;
- 21 candidates working in construction-related professions needed a minimum score of 90 to be considered;
- 30 candidates working in healthcare occupations needed a minimum score of 85 to be considered;
- 47 candidates working in tech-related occupations needed a minimum score of 114 to be considered; and
- At least 1 candidate working in veterinary care needed a minimum score of 85 to be considered.
For a full list of in-demand occupations in British Columbia, (including those in which candidates were working when invited in the above draw) click here.
The Skilled Worker International Graduate stream is for individuals who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college, and who have a job offer from an employer in British Columbia. The added EEBC option indicates that the BC PNP can (through this stream) invite candidates who are in the Express Entry pool, indicating that this is an enhanced PNP stream.
For more information on the BC PNP and its various streams, find our 👉 here.
Quebec
Quebec has recently released the results of its provincial immigration draw, which took place on March 18th, 2024.
The Quebec government extended invitations to 1,357 individuals to apply for permanent selection. To be eligible for invitation to this draw, candidates had to meet one of the following criteria:
- Possess at least a level 7 oral proficiency in French as per the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (Quebec’s French proficiency scale), and score equal to or greater than 596 points in Quebec’s immigration system; or
- Have at least a level 7 oral proficiency in French according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, and hold a valid job offer outside the metropolitan area of Montreal.
For further details on immigrating to Quebec, please visit 👉 Quebec Immigration.
Manitoba
On March 26th, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) conducted a special immigration draw targeting Ukrainian nationals, aligning with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) initiatives aimed at assisting those affected by the conflict with Russia.
During this draw, the province issued 179 expressions of interest, which are akin to Invitations to Apply (ITAs), to Ukrainian citizens meeting the following criteria:
- Possessing a minimum CLB level 4 proficiency in each language band, supported by a valid language test result.
- Having a demonstrable connection to Manitoba, whether through close relatives, community ties, previous employment, or educational history in the province.
- Attaining a score of at least 60 points according to MPNP criteria.
- Being able to fulfill all other prerequisites of the Skilled Worker Overseas Pathway, including possessing adequate settlement funds.
For further information on immigrating to Manitoba, please visit 👉 MPNP
