Five Canadian provinces extend invitations for provincial immigration programs this week. Ontario, British Columbia (BC), Quebec, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island (PEI) have issued invitations for newcomers to Canada.
Except for Nunavut and Quebec, all Canadian provinces and territories utilize their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to select candidates. Quebec, being the sole French-majority province in Canada, abstains from having a PNP to maintain control over economic immigration within its jurisdiction. Consequently, a distinct immigration agreement has been established between IRCC and Quebec. Across 11 provinces and territories in Canada, provincial and territorial governments administer PNPs aiming to attract skilled immigrants tailored to meet the specific labor market and demographic requirements of their regions.
Five provinces extend invitations for provincial immigration from March 16 to March 22
Ontario
Between March 16 and March 22, Ontario conducted three draws within the framework of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
Furthermore, the initial draw took place on March 19, when the Ontario government issued invitations via its Masters Graduates stream. A total of 1,370 candidates from this stream, scoring 52 or above, received invitations.
Simultaneously on March 19, the OINP also conducted a separate draw, extending invitations to 104 applicants under its PhD Graduates stream. Eligible candidates were those who attained a score of 42 or higher. Notably, both draws on March 19 encompassed a broad pool of applicants representing various professions.
The OINP then sent 2,281 Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to qualified applicants through the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream on March 21. This particular recruitment specifically sought out people with prior experience in tech-related fields. In this draw, every candidate who was granted a notice of intent (NOI) had a CRS score that fell between 468 and 480.
British Columbia
British Columbia held two provincial immigration draws on March 19, 2024.
Eighty-eight invitations were sent out in the first round of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). Candidates from five streams were included in this draw: Entry Level and Semi-Skilled, International Graduate, Skilled Worker, and Skilled Worker with EEBC option. For an invitation to be sent out in any of the other streams during this draw, candidates had to receive a minimum score of 125, with the exception of the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled categories, where a score of 98 was necessary.
Four supplementary draws targeted candidates from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams, including those eligible for the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option. These draws issued invitations to candidates from four distinct occupational categories, with the following allocation of numbers:
- Candidates in childcare occupations received 27 invitations.
- Candidates in construction occupations received 21 invitations.
- Candidates in healthcare occupations received 30 invitations.
- Candidates in veterinary care occupations received fewer than five invitations.
Candidates in all the occupational categories mentioned above, except for construction, needed to achieve a minimum score of 80 to be invited to the BCPNP draw. However, candidates in construction were required to attain a minimum score of 85.
Quebec
The results of a provincial immigration draw held on March 7, 2024, were recently made public by Quebec. The Minister of Immigration, Francization, and Integration invited 1,136 people to apply for permanent selection in this draw.
Furthermore, it’s important to remember that Quebec announces the results of these draws after the fact. The Arrima system in Quebec issued invitations for this particular round on March 4, 2024.
Candidates had to meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrate a minimum oral proficiency level of 7 in French according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (Quebec’s scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or its equivalent.
- Possess a valid job offer situated outside the territory of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal.
- Achieve a score of 603 points or higher.
Those who were invited to apply in this provincial immigration draw can then go ahead and apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate. Obtaining this certificate is crucial for immigration candidates intending to live in Quebec. It is mandatory to obtain it before submitting an application for permanent residence in Canada with IRCC.
Alberta
The results of the first draw conducted on February 20 under Alberta’s Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) were recently made public. Additionally, the outcomes of the second draw conducted on March 5 have also been disclosed.
Moreover, it is noteworthy that the results of the provincial immigration lotteries in Alberta are released after the fact.
Candidates who met the requirements for the “dedicated healthcare pathway with Alberta job offer” category were sent 33 NOI letters by the provincial government. This occurred in the draw held on February 20, with a minimum CRS score of 311 being necessary.
After then, on March 5, Alberta sent 34 more Notification of Interest letters through the AAIP to candidates in the same group as the draw on February 20. But this time, a minimum CRS score of 303 was required for all candidates to be invited.
Prince Edward Island
On March 21, the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) issued 83 invitations. These invitations were extended to workers in the construction, manufacturing, and healthcare industries.
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