By admin (August 12, 2024)

Candidates invited to apply for provincial immigration by British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec

Three Canadian provinces extended invitations to candidates for their provincial immigration programs this week. British Columbia (B.C.) and Alberta conducted draws under their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), while Quebec, which operates independently of the PNP system, selected candidates under its separate agreement with the federal government.

Provincial Immigration Activities (August 3-9)

Alberta

On July 30, Alberta conducted a draw for candidates in the Dedicated Healthcare Pathway under the Alberta job offer stream. The draw targeted 54 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300. This stream is aligned with Canada’s federal Express Entry system, allowing candidates to earn an additional 600 CRS points upon receiving an invitation from the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), which significantly boosts their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a future Express Entry draw.

Alberta is also set to launch a new Expression of Interest (EOI) system for worker streams on September 30, 2024. This system will replace the current monthly application intake process, enabling continuous application submissions. Applicants will be ranked and invited based on provincial labor market needs and other criteria.

British Columbia

This week, British Columbia invited over 144 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the BC PNP. The province conducted a general draw, inviting 52 candidates from the Skilled Worker, International Graduate, and Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled streams. A minimum score of 132 was required, except for Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled applicants, who needed a score of 110.

In addition, B.C. held four occupation-specific draws targeting the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams:

• 32 candidates in childcare occupations (minimum score: 88)
• 29 candidates in construction occupations (minimum score: 90)
• 24 candidates in healthcare occupations (minimum score: 101)
• Fewer than 5 candidates in veterinary care occupations (minimum score: 80)

Quebec

Quebec invited 1,490 candidates to apply for provincial immigration on August 1. The invited candidates needed a minimum score of 580 and a French language proficiency of at least level 7 on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (Quebec’s scale for French proficiency levels). Candidates with job offers outside the Greater Montreal area were also considered. Like Alberta, Quebec publishes its immigration draw results retroactively.