No More Guaranteed ITA Scores And A Lot Of B.C. Tech Pilot Draws

The month of February was a popular period for the B.C. Tech Pilot, and the province also mixed their Guaranteed ITA Scores.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) sent out a total of 221 invitations through its Tech Pilots so far this month.

Immigration candidates who are applying for Canadian permanent residence through one of B.C.’s existing streams, and who have employment offers in one of Twenty-Nine (29) eligible occupations may be considered for an invitation through the British Columbia Tech Pilot program.

So far B.C. has rolled out 806 invitations to Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC applicants this year.

“The BC Provincial Nominee Program Tech Pilot is a priority program that supports economic growth and assist tech sector recruit top international talents,” a spokesperson from B.C.’s economic development ministry indicated in an email. “We continue to support the tech sector’s sustained growth through weekly draws.”

The BC PNP stated that the frequency of invitations is based on the annual nomination allocation by the federal government and the program’s processing capacity.

The Tech Pilot was launched in 2017 to provide the tech sector in B.C. the ability to draw and retain international talents. This was due to the fact that demand in the tech industry was continuously increasing. The initiative was extended to June 2020.

In order to be eligible for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through the Tech Pilot, applicants must be enrolled in a BC PNP immigration category such as Express Entry BC or skilled immigration.

No more Guaranteed ITA Scores

As of Feb 19, applicants who score over certain points thresholds on the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) are no longer qualified to be guaranteed an invitation for a provincial nomination.

Applicants in the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC immigration categories are ranked based on some economic factors and human capital factors. Points are allotted based on the skill level of the job offer, wage, and the regional district of employments, as well as a candidate’s education, work experience, and language ability.

The Skills Immigration route is for skilled and semi-skilled workers that are in a high-demand occupation within the province. Hopeful Express Entry BC candidates must be eligible for one of three federal economic immigration programs: Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program, or Canadian Experience Class.

The most recent list of scores for a guaranteed invitation ranged from Ninety-five (95) for the entry-level stream, up to 135 for the skilled worker stream.

Recent BC draws have featured minimum scores well below those needed for a guaranteed invitation.

British Columbia also operates the successful BC PNP Tech Pilot. It presently has a list of twenty-nine (29) target occupations which qualify for priority processing.

What Are The BC PNP Tech Pilot Job Requirements? 

• The job offer must be for one of the Twenty-Nine (29) targeted occupations (see below)
• The job offer must be for a minimum of one-year duration
• The job offer must be valid for 120 days at the time of application

List Of Twenty-Nine (29) Target Occupations Under the BC PNP Tech Pilot