Canadian provinces Quebec and British Columbia have issued provincial immigration invitations to apply to applicants on October 16, 2022.  Most of the provinces and territories in Canada except Quebec and Nunavut manage their own PNPs. Through these provincial programs, interested applicants are invited to apply for a provincial nomination. However, the provincial nomination does not constitute permanent residence, but it can be the first step towards obtaining permanent residence through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The immigration programs in Quebec are separate from those in Canada and are administered by the province. Quebec’s immigration is managed by the province and is different from Canada’s immigration programs.

Provincial Immigration Results

Quebec

The Canadian province of Quebec issued 1,195 invitations to apply for permanent selection on September 29. In this draw, no particular NOCs or locations were targeted. Applicants are required to have their profiles in the Arrima Expression of Interest system with a minimum CRS score of 597. The score is lower than last month’s general draw when the score was 620.

This was the twelfth draw conducted by Quebec in 2022 and the third one in September. This is uncommon as Quebec usually conducts a one-draw every month. And, it does not release the results of the draw until one to two weeks after the draw. The invitations were issued by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) to the applicants applying under the Quebec Regular Worker Program (QSWP).

Those who are invited to apply for permanent selection by Quebec have a maximum of 60 days to submit their application and pay processing fees. Upon receiving all required information, Quebec aims to process complete applications within six months. All forms and documents are included in this category.

British Columbia

On October 12, more than 364 applicants were invited to apply for a provincial nomination in British Columbia. British Columbia invited 320 applicants in a general draw. International Graduates and Skilled Workers, as well as Express Entry candidates, were invited to apply. Applicants in the general draw had a minimum SIRS score of 78 for Entry Level and Semi-Skilled applicants. This system is similar to Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), but it is only used for British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program.

British Columbia also organized rounds of invitations for applicants working in the following occupations.

• 25 early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 4214) with a minimum score of 60 points
• 19 Healthcare workers from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level, and Semi-Skilled (including EEBC option) with a minimum score of 60 points
• Healthcare assistants from the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category with a minimum score of 60 points
• Other priority occupations with a minimum score of 60

As British Columbia announced recently that it would be pausing draws between October 12 and November 16 due to the transition from NOC 2016 to NOC 2021, a new method of assessing a candidate’s skill level for economic immigration programs, this will be the last draw for the BC PNP for a month.