BC Provincial Nominee PNP Invitation Update blog by our MacLean Law immigration lawyers keeps you up to date on the impact of COVID-19 on immigration to BC and Canada.
BC Provincial Nominee PNP Invitation Update 1 877 602 9900
What to do when BC PNP stops inviting certain occupations
On April 16, 2020, BC PNP has conducted an invitation round and 271 people have been invited. Due to the continuous impact from COVID-19, BC PNP has announced that certain occupations have been excluded from the respective draw. In today’s blog, Helen Han from MacLean Law provides a BC Provincial Nominee PNP Invitation Update and talks about the consequence of this change and provides some suggestions to the group of persons that are being affected.
To recap, the following occupation classifications (NOCs) have been excluded from the April 16, 2020 draw according to the BC government PNP website
- 0621 – Retail and wholesale trade managers
- 0631 – Restaurant and food service managers
- 0632 – Accommodation service managers
- 0651 – Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c.
- 1123 – Professional occupations in advertising, marketing, and public relations
- 1221 – Administrative officers
- 1241 – Administrative assistants
- 3236 – Massage therapists
- 6211 – Retail sales supervisors
- 6311 – Foodservice supervisors
- 6313 – Accommodation, travel, tourism, and related services supervisors
- 6321 – Chefs
- 6322 – Cooks
- 6341 – Hairstylists and barbers
- 6421 – Retail salespersons
- 6511 – Maîtres d’hotel and Hosts/Hostesses
- 6512 – Bartenders
- 6513 – Food and Beverage Servers
- 6521 – Travel counsellors
- 6522 – Pursers and flight attendants
- 6523 – Airline ticket and service agents
- 6524 – Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks
- 6525 – Hotel front desk clerks
- 6531 – Tour and travel guides
- 6532 – Outdoor sport and recreational guides
- 6533 – Casino workers
- 6562 – Estheticians, electrologists, and related occupations
- 6564 – Other personal service occupations
- 6611 – Cashiers
- 6621 – Service station attendants
- 6711 – Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related support occupations
- 6721 – Support Occupations in Accommodation, Travel, and Facilities Set-Up Services
- 6722 – Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation, and sport
- 6731 – Light duty cleaners
The COVID-19 outbreak has significantly influenced the economy of the province of British Columbia. Many businesses throughout the province have reduced their services, laid-off workers or even closed their businesses either temporarily or permanently. The BC PNP has made a statement on their website providing a BC Provincial Nominee PNP Invitation Update that commits to balancing the following:
- their goals of attracting qualified immigrants to support the province’s economy, and
- the responsibility of considering the immediate impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and taking appropriate actions to mitigate the impact.
BC Provincial Nominee PNP Invitation Update
It seems that the BC PNP has decided in order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, specifically businesses in sectors such as tourism, hospitality, food and beverage services and retail-related businesses which were impacted the most. The immigration procedure is being changed to relieve those businesses from obligations concerning immigration applications. By temporarily not inviting applicants who work in tourism, hospitality, and retail-related occupations, the employers of those applicants will not be required to commit to support their permanent and indefinite employment throughout the applicants’ permanent residence applications. It is important to note that BC PNP did not explicitly indicate on their website how long this temporary suspension of invitations for certain occupations/categories will last.
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So for potential BC PNP applicants who are working in one of the above-listed occupations, or wish to apply under the Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled category, what can they do if BC PNP might not be inviting them going forward? Here are some options to consider:
- Obtain a positive confirmation of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application. With LMIA approval a person will in most cases gain an additional 50 points in their Express Entry profile. In the meantime, take a qualified English language exam if not done so already, to boost the Express Entry points.
- Discuss with the employer about the possibility of moving to another occupation not included in the above negative list.
- Seek opportunities to work for another employer in an occupation apart from the negative list.
Planning ahead is necessary to ensure the success of your BC PNP and permanent residence application, and finding an experienced lawyer or licensed immigration consultant for advice is important in saving your time and making sure you are on the right track. Should you have any questions related to our BC Provincial Nominee PNP Invitation Update, would like to plan your immigration pathway, or have any concerns about your application, please contact MacLean Law’s immigration team at 1-877-602-9900 and our immigration team will resolve matters for you professionally.
