This past week, Manitoba held a new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw and BC held its weekly PNP  invitation round.

Most Canadian provinces and territories (with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination. Although provincial nomination is not in itself the same as permanent residence, it can significantly increase the chances of obtaining permanent resident status.

For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations. In the latest Express Entry draw held last week, Canada invited 919 PNP candidates to apply with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 785.

Over the past week, two Canadian provinces have issued invitations to immigration candidates as part of their PNPs. These are the details of the new draws.

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British Columbia

The province of British Columbia typically holds a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round of invitations on a weekly basis.

Such was the case this week with rounds of invitations held on April 5 under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). More than 180 candidates received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination in these draws.

A total of 131 of these candidates were invited through a general draw. These candidates must meet the requirements of one of British Columbia’s Express Entry BC or 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, International Graduate, and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score between 77 and 125 depending on the stream.

For several weeks now, the province has also been holding rounds of invitations for candidates in specific occupations to meet the increased labour needs in certain sectors of the economy. This week, the province invited the following:

• 43 early childhood educators (NOC 4214) with scores of at least 70;
• 14 healthcare workers with scores of at least 70;
• less than five healthcare assistants (NOC 3413) with scores of at least 70; and
• less than five animal health technologists and veterinarians (NOC 3114 and NOC 3213) with scores of at least 78.

Manitoba

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited 223 candidates to apply on April 7. The invitations were divided across three immigration streams:

Out of all who were invited to apply, 30 had profiles in the Express Entry system.

Those interested in a nomination from Manitoba need to register an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the MPNP. Manitoba ranks candidate profiles out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors, as well as their connections to the province. The MPNP then issues invitations to eligible candidates who may apply for a provincial nomination under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.

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