The province of British Columbia will be pausing draws in the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) between October 12 and November 16, 2022. While this would not be unusual for a few months, British Columbia usually holds PNP draws every week.
As Canada updates its national occupation classification (NOC) system the first major NOC update since 2016, Provincial Nominee Programs across Canada are likely to make a few changes to ensure a seamless transition for applicants.
BC PNP candidates having applications in the pool after October 12 will be taken away in the pool and will need to resubmit their application when the system re-opens again in November. If a candidate is invited on or before October 12, they still have 30 days to submit their application. This application will be assessed using NOC 2016 (the current) criteria. The province of British Columbia government says processing times for applications are expected to remain within the service standard of 3 months for 80% of applications.
However, there are a few exceptions to the pause. BC will carry on issuing Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the Entrepreneur Immigration program and aspirants applying under Health Authority, International Post-Graduate categories can go on submitting applications until November 13, 2022.
Changes under NOC 2021
The national occupational classification (NOC) system of Canada acts as the most important factor in assessing candidates who desire to come to the country under an economic class program, including Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program. These programs aim at skilled and qualified immigrants desiring to penetrate the workforce in Canada.
The NOC classifies employment activities as helping comprehend the nature of the labour market in Canada, running government programs, carrying out research, and assisting the country deal with its immigration and foreign worker programs.
Around every five years, the federal government makes updates to the National Occupational Classification and revamps the system every ten years. Changes to the NOC indicate changes to the labour market and economy in Canada.
Under the current approach under NOC 2016, classifying jobs is based exclusively on the type of employment of the candidate and breaks up occupations into four categories ranging from management positions to low-skilled.
The new system will classify jobs into six levels on a new Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system. Statistics Canada explains that the new structure will place great emphasis on the abilities and transferable skills of the candidate instead of their occupational experience.
British Columbia Invites Over 258 Candidates in Weekly PNP Draw
Over 258 candidates were invited to apply for a provincial nomination in the province on September 28. The majority of candidates (215) were invited to a targeted draw for tech occupations. The invitations were issued to candidates in the Skilled Worker and International Graduates categories and consisted of candidates for the Express Entry Program.
About the PNP
Established in 1998, the PNP (short for Provincial Nominee Program) encourages newcomers for settling outside of urban centres in British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario, and doles out immigration benefits throughout Canada.
The program now welcomes in excess of 80,000 new permanent residents a year to the country. Candidates have an option of applying through Express Entry (improved nomination) or directly to the provincial governments. If a candidate applies as part of their Express Entry system and gets provincial nomination without fail, they automatically receive an extra 600 points under the CRS (short for Comprehensive Ranking System), making it possible they will receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply) from IRCC (Immigration, Refugees And Citizenship Canada.
