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In its first draw of the year, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) invited candidates to apply through two of its immigration streams. Of those invited, 37 were eligible for the SINP’s Express Entry subcategory, and 67 were eligible for the Occupations In-Demand sub-category. The lowest-scoring candidate from each sub-category had 68 points on Saskatchewan’s Expression of Interest (EOI) ranking system.

In this draw, Saskatchewan invited candidates with work experience in one of six occupations: medical laboratory technologists, paramedical occupations, psychologists, medical sonographers, occupational therapists, and medical radiation technologists. Candidates from both categories also needed Educational Credential Assessments to demonstrate their foreign education was comparable to the Canadian standard.

 

About Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category

The Express Entry sub-category is an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), meaning it is linked to the federal Express Entry system. Express Entry manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates with Express Entry profiles must also create EOI profiles for Saskatchewan in order to be considered for an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination. Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System score. This award effectively guarantees them a chance to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

 

About the Occupations In-Demand subcategory

 

The Occupations In-Demand sub-category is a base PNP, meaning it is open to immigration candidates who do not have an Express Entry profile. This sub-category is for highly skilled workers with experience in an in-demand occupation in Saskatchewan, who do not yet have a job offer in the province. In order to apply for Canadian immigration through this sub-category, foreign nationals need to create an EOI profile through the SINP’s online application system.

Saskatchewan’s EOI system allows the province to select immigration candidates that have the potential to thrive in the prairie province. Candidates will be assessed on how their work experience, education, language ability, age, and connections to the province demonstrate their ability to settle in Saskatchewan.

In its second draw in two days, Ontario invited 502 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on 12th January. Invited candidates had profiles in the Express Entry system with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores between 464 and 467.

In the new draw, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited candidates who were eligible for the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream (HCP). This Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) gives foreign workers the opportunity to launch their careers in Ontario, and make Canada’s most populous province their new home. The OINP invited candidates if they had work experience in one of the following 18 occupations listed in order of their National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:

• NOC 0114 – Other administrative services managers
• NOC 0122 – Banking, credit and other investment managers
• NOC 0124 – Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
• NOC 0125 – Other business services managers
• NOC 0211 – Engineering managers
• NOC 0311 – Managers in health care
• NOC 0601 – Corporate sales managers
• NOC 0631 – Restaurant and food service managers
• NOC 0711 – Construction managers
• NOC 0731 – Managers in transportation
• NOC 0911 – Manufacturing managers
• NOC 1121 – Human resources professionals
• NOC 1122 – Professional occupations in business management consulting
• NOC 2161 – Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
• NOC 3012 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
• NOC 3211 – Medical laboratory technologists
• NOC 3231 – Opticians
• NOC 3233 – Licensed practical nurses

Invited Express Entry candidates need to have at least one year of work experience in one of these occupations in order to receive the provincial nomination. If they are nominated under this, or any other Express Entry-linked PNP, they will be bumped to the front of the line to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

Express Entry candidates who receive a nomination from a PNP automatically get an additional 600 CRS points toward their overall score. This effectively guarantees that they will receive an ITA in a subsequent Express Entry draw. During the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been holding PNP-only draws, where candidates needed a PNP in order to be invited.

Ontario invited 1,084 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on January 11. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued invitations to candidates who had profiles in its Expression of Interest (EOI) system. These candidates were eligible for one of three streams under the Employer Job Offer category: Foreign Worker, International Student and In-Demand Skills. Below are the invitation numbers by Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream:

•  Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream – 264
• Employer Job Offer: International Student stream – 762
• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream – 58

Candidates invited under the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream had work experience in the National Occupational Codes (NOC) below:

Health and agricultural occupations:

NOC 3413 – nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

NOC 4412 – home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers

NOC 8431 – general farm workers

NOC 8432 – nursery and greenhouse workers

NOC 8611 – harvesting labourers

NOC 9462 – industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers

Manufacturing (outside the GTA only):

NOC 9411 – machine operators, mineral and metal processing

NOC 9416 – metalworking and forging machine operators

NOC 9417 – machining tool operators

NOC 9418 – other metal products machine operators

NOC 9421 – chemical plant machine operators

NOC 9422 – plastics processing machine operators

NOC 9437 – woodworking machine operators

NOC 9446 – industrial sewing machine operators

NOC 9461 – process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing

NOC 9523 – electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers

NOC 9526 – mechanical assemblers and inspectors

NOC 9536 – industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators

NOC 9537 – other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors

Each year, the federal government allows the provinces provinces and territories that run the PNP to issue a certain number of nominations. In 2021, Ontario was allowed to nominate 8,350 immigrants. The province got an additional 250 nominations for temporary foreign workers in intermediate skilled occupations, NOC Skill Level C.

By November 10, Ontario had issued 8,600 nominations. The province’s immigration minister, Monte McNaughton, told CIC News in an October interview that the province is asking the federal government to double their allocation in 2022. The province will receive its allocation number from Immigration Canada later this year.

In the first Express Entry draw of the year, IRCC invited only PNP candidates to apply for permanent residence. Canada started the new year inviting 392 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence. In the January 5 draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cutoff was 808. PNP candidates get an automatic 600 points added to their score when they receive their nomination, which is why the score seems high compared to other invitation rounds.

IRCC has only been holding PNP draws since September. According to an internal briefing memo, IRCC has been focusing on PNP candidates as immigration officers are processing a backlog in applications. The immigration department wants to cut Express Entry backlogs in at least half before inviting candidates from other programs.

The Canadian government has suggested that they plan to make changes to Express Entry this year. In the 2021 federal budget, the Liberal government proposed to give the immigration minister more flexibility to invite Express Entry candidates that meet Canada’s labour market needs. Later in the year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Immigration Minister Sean Fraser in a mandate letter to expand permanent residence pathways for international students and temporary foreign workers via Express Entry. At this time, no further details have been released publicly.

Also, Express Entry-eligible occupations may change when the new Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system comes into effect, and replaces the current National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels. For now, Express Entry only recognizes work experience from NOC 0, A, and B occupations. This type of classification will be changed when TEER comes into force in late 2022.

Canada only held program-specific Express Entry draws for PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates in 2021. It was the first year in the history of Express Entry that no Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidate was invited to apply. Before the pandemic, FSWP candidates were the main source of Express Entry immigrants.

FSWP candidates are more likely to be applying from outside of the country, compared to PNP or CEC candidates. Last year, IRCC focused more on admitting applicants who were already in Canada due to travel restrictions. CEC candidates are most likely to be in Canada already, since they are required to have at least one year of Canadian work experience. PNP candidates are already nominated for immigration by the provinces, which means they have demonstrated that they can help support regional labour markets.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited a total of 393 immigration candidates across three Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Here are the number of invitations issued for each program, plus the minimum score cutoff according to the province’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system:

• Skilled Workers in Manitoba — 332 invitations with a minimum score of 375.
• Skilled Workers Overseas — 35 invitations with a minimum score of 726.
• International Education Stream — 26 invitations with no score requirement.

Among these invitations, 73 were issued to candidates in the Express Entry system.

About Express Entry

Express Entry is Canada’s application management system for three federal high-skilled immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Immigration candidates who submit a profile to the Express Entry system are ranked based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Points are awarded for factors like age, work experience, education, and language skills among others. The highest-scoring candidates receive invitations to apply for permanent residence through regular Express Entry draws.

It is possible to skip the PNP process and receive a permanent residence invitation by directly applying through Express Entry. However, a provincial nomination means an automatic 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantees candidates will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Manitoba immigration programs

Manitoba manages its immigration programs through the MPNP, which supports immigration applications to the federal government. Canadian provinces do not have the ability to give out permanent residency status, but they can help an application along by issuing provincial nominations.

If you want a nomination from Manitoba, you need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP. This puts you in a position to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.

Manitoba then ranks candidates out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors, as well as their connections to the province. The Skilled Workers Overseas Category and Skilled Workers in Manitoba categories are designed to allow the province to identify candidates who meet its labour market needs.

Candidates overseas need to demonstrate connections to Manitoba through the likes of close family ties, previous experience in the province, or an invitation through one of Manitoba’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. In order to receive an invitation under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category, you need to have a full-time job offer from a provincial employer.

International graduates who complete their education in Manitoba can receive an invitation under the International Education Stream if they can demonstrate that they have in-demand skills.

British Columbia invited 243 immigration candidates through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws held on December 21. The province held two draws through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and invited candidates from the Skills Immigration (SI) and Express Entry BC (EEBC) streams.

Invitations were issued to those from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate as well as Entry Level and Semi-Skilled sub-categories of SI and EEBC streams. The majority of the invitations, 194, were sent through a general draw. These candidates received invitations if they met the minimum score requirements between 74 and 106 depending on the program for which they are eligible.

Another draw targeted candidates whose occupation falls under NOC 0621 (retail and wholesale trade managers) or NOC 0631 (restaurant and food service managers). That draw resulted in 49 invitations with minimum scores of 106 across the board.

Since last February, British Columbia has been conducting a separate round of invitations twice a month as part of its PNP program. These draws are being held due to the high number of candidates from particular labour market sectors who are registered in the province’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).

BC PNP

The BC PNP aims to attract foreign workers who are in high demand in the province and who wish to become permanent residents of Canada.

The BC PNP has two main immigration streams, Skills Immigration and Express Entry, both of which are divided into sub-categories. These streams are managed under B.C.’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). In order to apply through the SIRS, you are first required to register an account. Once this is done, you will be assigned a score based on factors such as education, work experience, and language skills.

The highest-scoring candidates from each sub-category are then invited to apply for a provincial nomination to apply for permanent residency when British Columbia conducts one of its regular draws.

If you received an invitation you will have 30 days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application through the BC PNP online system.

Once you submit a complete BC PNP application package you will be notified of the province’s decision within approximately two to three months. If your nomination is successful, you become eligible to apply to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status under the Provincial Nominee Class.

The nomination is valid for approximately six months from the date of confirmation.  As a provincial nominee, you may receive an additional 600 points under the CRS and therefore have a score high enough to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during a subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

Canada invited 746 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on 22nd December. Invited candidates had previously received a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), adding 600 points to their base human capital score. As a result, the minimum cut-off for this draw was 720.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has only been holding PNP draws since September—this is now the eighth in a row. According to an internal briefing memo, IRCC has paused CEC invitations to catch up on its backlog. In the memo, the department has said it wants to cut Express Entry backlogs in half before it considers inviting candidates from other programs.

In the previous PNP draw, IRCC invited a record-breaking 1,032 PNP candidates to apply. The minimum score in that draw was 698.

One year without all-program draw

It has been one year since Canada held an Express Entry draw that includes candidates from all programs. IRCC has not invited Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) nor Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates since December 23, 2020. Throughout the year, IRCC has only held Express Entry draws that target candidates from the PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

The strategy was supposed to allow IRCC to focus on admitting immigration candidates who were likely already in the country. Candidates who were applying for Canadian immigration from abroad were not allowed to cross the border for the purpose of activating their permanent residency status until June. However, an IRCC briefing note reveals that focusing on inland candidates, as well as creating the Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathway created a large backlog of candidates.

While announcing that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot would become a permanent program in 2022, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Canada would move back to admitting a mix of immigrants from both in Canada and abroad.

Since the start of the pandemic, Canada has held 35 PNP-specific Express Entry draws in which 19,563 candidates received invitations to apply for permanent residence. In the same timeframe, Canada has held 27 CEC draws that rendered 133,868 invitations. Since March 18, 2020, there have only been 11 draws inviting Express Entry candidates from all programs, including the FSWP.

In 2021, Canada has invited more Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence than it did last year. Part of this is due to the February 13 draw when Canada invited all 27,332 CEC candidates in the pool at once.

The cut-off scores have remained relatively high as IRCC has only been holding PNP draws. Due to their high scores, PNP candidates in the Express Entry pool are effectively guaranteed to at least receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited a total of 349 immigration candidates across three Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs):

Skilled Workers in Manitoba — 296 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 447;

Skilled Workers Overseas — 13 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 712; and

International Education Stream — 40 invitations with no EOI score requirement.

Among these invitations, 64 were issued to candidates in the Express Entry system.

Manitoba immigration programs

Manitoba manages its immigration programs through the MPNP, which supports immigration applications to the federal government. Canadian provinces do not have the ability to give out permanent residency status, but they can help an application along by issuing provincial nominations.

If you want to benefit from a nomination from Manitoba, you need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP. This puts you in a position to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams. Manitoba then ranks candidates out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors, as well as their connections to the province.

The Skilled Workers Overseas Category and Skilled Workers in Manitoba categories are designed to allow the province to identify candidates who meet its labour market needs. Candidates overseas need to demonstrate connections to Manitoba through the likes of close family ties, previous experience in the province, or an invitation through one of Manitoba’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. You do not need to be living in Manitoba at the time of your application to be eligible.

In order to receive an invitation under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category, you need to have a full-time job offer from a provincial employer. International graduates who complete their education in Manitoba can receive an invitation under the International Education Stream if they can demonstrate that they have in-demand skills.

The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) invited a total of 124 immigration candidates on December 16. Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates received the most invitations, combined they received a total of 114. The remaining 11 invitations went to Business Impact candidates who had provincial scores of at least 67 points.

This is the final scheduled draw of the year for the maritime province. In 2021, P.E.I. invited 1,804 candidates, 1,697 of which were from the Labour Impact and Express Entry streams and 157 from the Business Impact stream. The PEI PNP schedules its draws for the year in advance. The draw schedule for 2022 has not yet been released.

PEI PNP Express Entry Category

The PEI PNP’s Express Entry Category is an enhanced PNP, which means it is linked with the federal government’s Express Entry system. In order to be considered for this stream, candidates need to have a profile in the system. Express Entry is an immigration application manager. It handles the applications for three economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for their age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English or French. Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are given an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and are effectively guaranteed an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from PEI, Express Entry candidates need to create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the PEI PNP. EOI profiles are given points based on the province’s unique points grid. The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply through monthly draws.

Labour Impact Category

The Labour Impact Category is for foreign nationals who have a valid job offer in P.E.I., and have support from their employer. It is divided into three streams: Skilled Worker, Critical Worker, and International Graduate. Candidates in this category must also submit an Expression of Interest in order to be considered for a provincial nomination through the Labour Impact Category.

Business Impact Category

Business Impact Category candidates need to meet the minimum provincial score requirement in order to proceed with their applications. The score is different in every draw. The invitations that the PEI PNP sent in today’s draw were issued under the Work Permit Stream, which is for foreign entrepreneurs who want to own and operate a business on the island.

British Columbia invited 71 tech workers to apply for a provincial nomination on 14th December. The invitations were issued through the BC PNP Tech, which is a stream under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). This is an economic immigration pathway used by the province of British Columbia to attract experienced, high-demand foreign workers. The program gives people who choose to live and work in British Columbia a path to permanent residence.

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

Candidates who received invitations in this draw were from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score of 80. Invited candidates now have 30 calendar days to apply for the nomination.

So far in 2021, British Columbia has issued nearly 12,000 invitations to apply for provincial nomination.

BC PNP Tech program

The BC PNP Tech was launched in May 2017 as a pilot project following a labour market study that found the biggest issue facing B.C.’s technology sector was access to talent. Given the success of the project, B.C made it a permanent program. It is designed to enable employers in British Columbia’s technology sector to continue to attract and select international talent when qualified workers are not available locally.

More specifically, the BC PNP Tech is a fast-track immigration pathway for in-demand tech workers and international students. Candidates need to be registered in one of B.C.’s existing provincial immigration streams and have a valid job offer of at least 12 months in one of 29 eligible occupations to qualify for the stream.

Unlike other BC PNP streams, 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. It must also be full-time and from an eligible employer in the province.

Invitations through the province’s tech program are sent out weekly to the top-scoring candidates who meet the eligibility requirements. Candidates who are invited to apply for a provincial nomination will need to submit a complete application. Once this is done, most tech applications will be processed within two to three months.

If they are approved, candidates will receive a nomination confirmation that can be used to apply for permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Provincial Nominee Program Class. PNP candidates automatically earn 600 points for their score in the Comprehensive Ranking System and thus have a very good chance of obtaining an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence via Express Entry.