24 Apr British Columbia invited 91 Tech Pilot candidates
British Columbia invited 91 Tech Pilot candidates
On April 21, 2020, British Columbia conducted a new Tech Pilot draw in the framework of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). This time, the government invited 91 candidates in four categories: Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker, Skills Immigration – International Graduate, Express Entry British Columbia – Skilled Worker, and Express Entry British Columbia – International Graduate. For the second round in a row, the lowest score in all categories was 85 points. During April 2019 to April 2020, the lowest score in the Tech Pilot draws was 90 points. BC already invited 754 Tech Pilot candidates in 2020. In total, BC issued ITAs to 2,477 foreign nationals in the BC PNP.
#British_Columbia, #BCPNP, #Tech_Pilot, #PNP
Alberta issued 320 invitations in the two April draws
On April 21, 2020, Alberta updated the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) inventory. As of April 14, the province has 1,750 applications pending eligibility assessment. 1,475 of them were submitted in the Alberta Opportunity Stream and received before December 16, 2019. The AINP has conducted two new invitation rounds in the Alberta Express Entry Stream. On April 1, 2020, Alberta issued 120 Notifications of Interest (NOI) and the lowest score of the round was 381 points. On April 14, the lowest score among 200 invitees was 353 points. Alberta already issued NOIs to 1207 Express Entry candidates in 2020.
#Alberta, #AINP, #PNP, #ITA, #Nomination_certificate
Canadian International students may take the online IELTS test
International students who are considering applying for an academic program in Canada and who cannot take the test due to quarantine may have and alternative of taking the online IELTS Indicator test. This test is going to be similar to a regular computer-based IELTS with Listening, Reading, and Writing section completed at once and Speaking section with IELTS examiners. Prior to booking the test, applicants should contact their academic institutions to be sure the IELTS Indicator test is accepted by the college or university. The test booking will become available on April 22. The exact fee will also be published that day. So far, this exam cannot be used towards immigration to Canada.
#International_students, #IELTS, #study_in_Canada
The entry ban may last until September, there may be a drastic drop in the number of international students
The international education sector in BC could be affected by the outbreak and there may be a drastic drop in international student enrollment this fall. Although British Columbia schools have limited statistics available, the international education sector could be affected by the outbreak. According to federal statistics, international students contributed an estimated $21.6 billion to Canada’s GDP, supporting close to 170,000 jobs through education and other sectors such as housing, retail and services. The international education sector is viewed as one of the main economic drivers both federally and provincially. In 2019 the federal government allocated $147.9 million over five years to expand the sector. “The travel ban is the worst-case scenario, but even assuming things go back to normal eventually, things won’t be back to normal by this fall,” told Hugh Stephens who is a principal of Trans-Pacific Connections consultant group.
#international_students, #study_in_Canada, #COVID_19, #British_Columbia