British Columbia Removes Guaranteed ITA Scores

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Tech Pilot has made some crucial changes to its program. In February 2020, the province consecutively held three immigration draws and also announced that the province will stop posting the scores that guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to applicants applying through any of the BC PNP streams. The province said that applicants can check the required scores by reviewing the draws conducted in every week. 

As a popular Canada PNP program, the province of British Columbia has sent out a total of 1,096 invitations to candidates under both BC Express Entry and Skills Immigration categories. In February 2020 alone, British Columbia 221 ITAs were issued to Tech Pilot applicants.

Previously, the province of British Columbia would post a guaranteed invitation score for each category to depict the minimum points that applicants need to secure an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Now, as of February 19, 2020, candidates whose scores are above the certain points threshold in the SIRS will no longer be guaranteed an ITA for the provincial nomination.

A statement by the BCPNP officials said that “In the past, a guaranteed invitation score for each category was posted (subject to change) to illustrate the minimum points that an individual would need to be guaranteed an invitation to apply”.

“The points were based on a sampling of pre-2016 BC PNP applications”.

Applicants who have applied for Canada immigration through any of the existing BC PNP pathways, and also have a qualifying job offer in one of the 29 in-demand occupations in BC may be considered for an ITA under the BC PNP Tech Pilot Program.

As a fast-track immigration program, the Tech Pilot program is a pathway for skilled Tech or IT workers to immigrate to British Columbia. The program was introduced because of the rising demand for IT professionals in BC. The Tech Pilot stream is a very unique pathway for the IT workers to fulfil the ongoing demand for talented techies in the province.

In order to apply, candidates must create an online through British Columbia PNP portal and register their profile under Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Once the registration is complete, the applicant may then follow the process of applications for the BC Skills Immigration stream they have opted for.

Canada PNP program is the ultimate way to migrate to Canada. Call us to discover your eligibility today!

Benefits of South Australia State Nomination

South Australia (SA) offers a quality of life that is comparable to Australia’s more popular immigration destinations, at a relatively lower cost of living. SA is home to ethnically diverse communities, thriving in a vibrant natural landscape. With mild climate and excellent healthcare and education systems, SA is truly an immigrant’s delight. These are some of the major reasons why several foreign nationals seek a South Australia state nomination, which can allow them to temporarily or permanently relocate to the state.

A nomination can be issued to candidates under two visa categories:

The Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190), which allows foreign skilled workers – who are nominated by a state/territory governing agency – to permanently live and work in Australia.

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491), which allows foreign skilled workers – who are nominated by a state/territory governing agency or sponsored by an eligible relative in Australia – to live and work in a designated regional area of the country for up to five years. After three years of living in the regional area, the visa holder can apply for permanent residence (PR) through the Subclass 191 Australia PR process.

Immigration aspirants stand to gain significantly from being nominated by the SA government. Some major advantages of receiving an SA state nomination include:

• The entire state of South Australia is considered ‘regional’. Thus, the immigrant does not necessarily have to live in the countryside or rural regions. Even metropolitan and urban centres, which have sophisticated lifestyle infrastructure, are considered ‘regional’, and are accessible to the visa holder. Adelaide, the state capital, is consistently ranked among the most livable cities of the world.
• Eligibility for both state nominated visas is determined by a point-based system. Obtaining a nomination allows Subclass 190 candidates to claim 5 additional points, while those nominated for the Subclass 491 Visa can add 15 points to their score. This greatly enhances the applicant’s chances of success in the visa process.
• Those applying for state nomination must have an occupation that features on SA’s state nominated occupation list, which features a very broad range of occupations – implying that a more diverse group of people are likely to be eligible for state nomination.
• Aspirants who have received a state nomination can have their visa application processed on a priority basis.
• Immigrants receive government assistance for settling in SA and finding employment.

In order to obtain a South Australia state nomination, eligible aspirants must submit an Expression of Interest to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The SA government invites the highest-scoring candidates – who meet the criteria for nomination – to apply for nomination. If the nomination is approved, the DHA will spontaneously invite the nominee to apply for the relevant visa. Within 60 days of receiving this invitation, a complete visa application – including supporting documents and visa fees – must be submitted to the DHA. The DHA will determine the final visa outcome.

How Marital Status Impacts Your Score under the Australia Points Calculator

In November 2019, the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) updated the point allocation system which determines the eligibility of candidates under certain skilled visa categories – known as ‘points-tested’ visas. While points for a spouse/de-facto partner’s qualifications were available in the previous point system as well, the new Australia points calculator redefined point allocation under these factors, and introduced new criteria – wherein points can also be awarded for being unmarried.

Married Applicants

If an applicant for a points-tested visa has a spouse or de-facto partner (who is also an applicant for the same visa), the primary applicant can claim up to 10 points – provided the spouse/de-facto partner:

·        Is under 45 years of age

·        Has competent English language skills

·     Has nominated an occupation that features on the same skilled occupation list as the applicant’s nominated skilled occupation, and has a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for that occupation. The assessment must not be for a Subclass 485 Visa.

If the accompanying spouse/de-facto partner only fulfils the English language requirement, but not the age or skill requirements, 5 points can be availed by the primary applicant. Under the previous Australia immigration point system, this provision did not exist.

If the spouse/de-facto partner is a permanent resident or citizen of Australia, the applicant can gain 10 points. However, in this case, points cannot be claimed for fulfilling the age, language or skill requirements.

Unmarried Applicants

If the applicant is single, 10 points will be added to the total score. This criteria did not exist under the previous system.

These criteria are applicable to candidates under three General Skilled Migration visa:

·        Subclass 189 – Skilled Independent Visa

·        Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated Visa

·        Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa

It is important to note that there are several other point allocation parameters. Marital status and partner skills are only two of the many factors that are considered to evaluate an applicant’s eligibility for a particular visa.

Thus, a candidate’s marital status can influence their overall point score in a significant manner, and impact the probability of receiving an invitation to apply for the visa from DHA. Those applying for points-tested skilled visas must take into account the updated selection criteria of the Australia points calculator, accordingly calculate their expected score, and take steps to enhance eligibility.

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