BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System

The Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) is a dynamic management system for immigration to British Columbia, Canada. The SIRS allows the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) to rank and select candidates who have the ability to settle permanently in the province.

As it is a points-based system, candidates receive a score based on the information provided when they register. The registration score will determine whether a candidate will receive an invitation to apply under one of five BC PNP categories that are managed under the system.

• If you are looking for information on the latest BC PNP draw, see our PNP Live Tracker.

Which BC PNP categories require SIRS registration?

The BC PNP is divided into three streams and numerous categories:

Skills Immigration (SI)

• Skilled Worker
• Health Care Professional
• International Graduate
• International Post-Graduate
• Entry Level and Semi-Skilled

Express Entry BC (EE BC)

• Skilled Worker
• Health Care Professional
• International Graduate
• International Post-Graduate

The BC PNP also offers an Entrepreneur Stream. Some BC PNP categories require SIRS registration.

It should be noted that all categories that are aligned with the Skills Immigration Registration System require candidates to have a qualifying job offer from an employer in BC.

Moreover, some BC PNP categories managed under the Skills Immigration Registration System are also aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration system. Successful applicants to one of these categories receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, followed by an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

If all of this sounds confusing, the diagram below may help.

SIRS Scoring System

Up to 200 points are available to candidates registered under the Skills Immigration Registration System, with the following breakdown per factor.

Economic Factor #1: Skill level of the BC job offer

The skill level of the job offer is determined by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.

Economic factor #2: wage of the job offer

Economic factor #3: regional district of employment

Human capital factor #1: directly-related work experience

Candidates may receive points based on their years of full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) and part-time work experience, as it directly relates to the job offered in BC. This experience may be from work performed within Canada or abroad. This directly-related work experience must have been obtained within the last 10 years.

Human capital factor #2: level of education

Human capital factor #3: language ability

Invitations to Apply

Upon registration and entry to the SIRS pool, candidates are ranked according to their points totals. When a BC PNP draw takes place, a certain number of candidates for each category may be issued an Invitation to Apply to the BC PNP. The cut-off threshold may be different for the various categories in each BC PNP draw.

Invited candidates have up to 30 calendar days to submit a complete application via the BC PNP online system. If a candidate chooses not to apply or is unable to do so, he or she will have the registration removed from the pool and the invitation will be cancelled.

An invitation to apply issued in a BC PNP draw does not guarantee that an application will be approved for nomination.

The BC PNP may refuse an application if:

• the information in the registration is different from the information submitted in the application;
• the candidate is not eligible to receive the points assigned to him or her at the time of registration; or
• the application does not meet applicable category requirements in effect at the time the application was made.

Candidates who have not been invited to apply within 12 months of registration will be automatically removed from the pool. A new registration may be made at this point.

Application for permanent residence

Successful applicants who receive a provincial nomination from the BC PNP through one of the Skills Immigration Registration System categories may then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status. This must be done within six months of having received the nomination.

Candidates with BC PNP nomination may be eligible to receive a work permit support letter so that they can obtain or renew a work permit to start or continue working in BC while awaiting the decision on their permanent residence application.

In order for a work permit to be issued, the following conditions must be met:

• The candidate has been nominated by the BC PNP;
• The candidate has submitted an application for permanent residence to IRCC within the six-month period after he or she was nominated;
• The candidate continues to meet the conditions of nomination; and
• The candidate’s current work permit expires within 120 days.

Get help with your application

Do you need assistance in preparing an application for Canadian permanent residence? If so, view our Book an Immigration Consultant page to see Moving2Canada’s list of recommended, accredited representatives who can assist you in your goals.