This week, British Columbia and Manitoba made significant announcements regarding their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), impacting candidates seeking immigration pathways to Canada.

British Columbia

On December 10, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) conducted two draws under its Skills Immigration pathways.

General Draw

The first draw targeted candidates in the following streams:

• Skilled Worker (including the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option*)
• Entry Level & Semi-Skilled

The EEBC option connects the Skilled Worker stream to Canada’s federal Express Entry system, enabling the selection of eligible candidates from the Express Entry pool. PNP streams linked to Express Entry are referred to as “enhanced streams.”

This draw issued a total of six Invitations to Apply (ITAs) with the following minimum scores:

Stream	Minimum Score	ITAs Issued
Skilled Worker	148	6
Skilled Worker (EEBC option)	148
Entry Level & Semi-Skilled	121

The second draw invited candidates under the Skilled Worker stream (including the EEBC option), focusing on professionals in priority sectors of British Columbia’s economy.

This draw issued at least four ITAs based on sector-specific cut-off scores:

Sector	Minimum Score	ITAs Issued
Childcare	101	<5
Construction	112	<5
Healthcare	121	<5
Veterinary Care	80	<5

Manitoba

On December 6, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) announced that it will soon discontinue the Temporary Public Policy for Work Permits for prospective PNP candidates.

This policy, introduced in August 2024, allowed Manitoba to issue support letters to candidates in the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool or application inventory. These letters enabled eligible candidates to apply for Open Work Permits (OWPs) with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Policy Deadlines

• Final Application Deadline: The MPNP will accept applications for support letters until 11:59 PM CST on December 18, 2024 (12:59 AM EST on December 19). After this, the submission portal will close.

• IRCC Deadline for OWP Applications: Candidates can continue to submit OWP applications to IRCC under this policy until December 31, 2024.

Candidates meeting eligibility criteria can apply for support letters by completing the online form before the December 18 deadline.

British Columbia Increases Selections as Manitoba Ends PNP Work Permit Program

This week, British Columbia and Manitoba made significant announcements regarding their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), impacting candidates seeking immigration pathways to Canada.

British Columbia

On December 10, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) conducted two draws under its Skills Immigration pathways.

General Draw

The first draw targeted candidates in the following streams:

• Skilled Worker (including the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option*)
• Entry Level & Semi-Skilled

The EEBC option connects the Skilled Worker stream to Canada’s federal Express Entry system, enabling the selection of eligible candidates from the Express Entry pool. PNP streams linked to Express Entry are referred to as “enhanced streams.”

This draw issued a total of six Invitations to Apply (ITAs) with the following minimum scores:

Stream	Minimum Score	ITAs Issued
Skilled Worker	148	6
Skilled Worker (EEBC option)	148
Entry Level & Semi-Skilled	121

The second draw invited candidates under the Skilled Worker stream (including the EEBC option), focusing on professionals in priority sectors of British Columbia’s economy.

This draw issued at least four ITAs based on sector-specific cut-off scores:

Sector	Minimum Score	ITAs Issued
Childcare	101	<5
Construction	112	<5
Healthcare	121	<5
Veterinary Care	80	<5

Manitoba

On December 6, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) announced that it will soon discontinue the Temporary Public Policy for Work Permits for prospective PNP candidates.

This policy, introduced in August 2024, allowed Manitoba to issue support letters to candidates in the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool or application inventory. These letters enabled eligible candidates to apply for Open Work Permits (OWPs) with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Policy Deadlines

• Final Application Deadline: The MPNP will accept applications for support letters until 11:59 PM CST on December 18, 2024 (12:59 AM EST on December 19). After this, the submission portal will close.

• IRCC Deadline for OWP Applications: Candidates can continue to submit OWP applications to IRCC under this policy until December 31, 2024.

Candidates meeting eligibility criteria can apply for support letters by completing the online form before the December 18 deadline.

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