On October 20, British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) sent invitations to 100 candidates to apply. The Oct. 20 draw is hot off the heels of another BC PNP draw on Oct. 15 where 417 candidates were selected.
Of the 100 candidates, 80 were sent invitations through their Tech Pilot stream that selects candidates who have a job offer in the BC tech industry. The remaining 20 candidates were selected through BC PNP’s entrepreneur streams of immigration.
Oct. 20 BC PNP Tech Pilot draw
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories
- Number of invitations: 80
- Minimum score: 80
BC Entrepreneur Immigration draw
Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category
- Number of invitations: 15
- Minimum score: 122
Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot
- Number of invitations: 5
- Minimum score: 109
BC Entrepreneur Immigration program
The BC Entrepreneur Immigration programs are for candidates who wish to start or purchase a business in BC. The program is divided into two categories, the Entrepreneur Immigration Base Category and the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot.
To be eligible to apply to the Entrepreneur Immigration Base Category, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- A personal net worth of at least CAD$600,000
- Previous business and/or management experience
- Have lawful temporary immigration status in Canada or be eligible for legal status
- Basic language proficiency in either English or French (CLB level 4 or higher)
In addition to the abovementioned eligibility criteria, the candidate must also:
- Start a new business or purchase and improve an existing business
- Make a personal investment of at least $200,000 in the business
- Create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian
The BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot program has more lenient selection criteria. The net worth and investment requirement is cut in half and is $300,000 and $100,000 respectively. However, the regional pilot requires a candidate to start a new business rather than purchase an existing one.
Eligible occupations for BC PNP Tech Pilot
To be eligible for the BC Provincial Nominee Program Tech Pilot, a candidate must have a job offer from a BC employer in one of the following occupations:
| NOC | Job Title |
|---|---|
| 0131 | Telecommunication carriers managers |
| 0213 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 0512 | Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts |
| 2131 | Civil engineers |
| 2132 | Mechanical engineers |
| 2133 | Electrical and electronics engineers |
| 2134 | Chemical engineers |
| 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants |
| 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers |
| 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers |
| 2175 | Web designers and developers |
| 2221 | Biological technologists and technicians |
| 2241 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2242 | Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment) |
| 2243 | Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics |
| 2281 | Computer network technicians |
| 2282 | User support technicians |
| 2283 | Information systems testing technicians |
| 5121 | Authors and writers |
| 5122 | Editors |
| 5125 | Translators, terminologists and interpreters |
| 5224 | Broadcast technicians |
| 5225 | Audio and video recording technicians |
| 5226 | Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts |
| 5227 | Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts |
| 5241 | Graphic designers and illustrators |
| 6221 | Technical sales specialists - wholesale trade |
Lauren Boorman
