The following chart and table show the overall share of nominations for each category, as well as a more detailed breakdown.
| Total Skills Immigration Nominations by Category | |||
| Category | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Skilled Worker | 1,747 | 1,515 | 1,672 |
| Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS) | 768 | 374 | 667 |
| International Graduate | 375 | 339 | 420 |
| International Post-Graduate | 501 | 558 | 523 |
| Healthcare Professional | 71 | 72 | 70 |
| EEBC – Skilled Worker | 2,002 | 2,051 | 1,941 |
| EEBC – International Graduate | 415 | 1030 | 964 |
| EEBC – International Post-Graduate | 297 | 288 | 226 |
| EEBC – Healthcare Professional | 37 | 24 | 20 |
| SI Total | 6,213 | 6,251 | 6,503 |
In 2021, 60 per cent of all nominations were under the Skilled Worker categories and 26 per cent of nominations were under the International Graduate and International Post-Graduate categories. The percentage of nominees who were in a student category was less than normal in 2021 because many international students were eligible to apply directly to the federal government through temporary, limited-time pathways for permanent residency. This effect was particularly noticeable in the Express Entry option for the International Graduate category.
The International Post-Graduate categories nominated 798 new graduates who intend to settle in British Columbia. These categories help meet the objective of attracting and retaining innovative holders of advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with high human capital.
BC PNP Tech
The BC PNP introduced the Tech Pilot in 2017 to help B.C. tech employers address their talent needs. In May 2021, the BC PNP indefinitely extended the Tech Pilot under a new name: BC PNP Tech. BC employers continue to be able to recruit and retain international skilled tech talent with a path to permanent residence. A list of the eligible occupations in engineering, technology, and business support services, along with other information about BC PNP Tech, can be found on our website.
| BC PNP Tech Nominations | |||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Nominees | 1,697 | 1,855 | 1,509 |
| % of SI Nominees | 27.3% | 29.7% | 23.2% |
BC PNP Tech (which draws from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate categories) has grown to account for a large share of the program’s SI nominations. In 2021, Tech Pilot nominees constituted 27 per cent of all SI nominees. Six of the top 10 occupations nominated in 2021 were tech occupations: software engineers and developers, graphic designers and illustrators, computer programmers and interactive media developers, professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations, information systems analysts and consultants, and user support technicians.
Geographical Origins of Nominees
Many nominees in the SI stream come from countries in Asia. 63 per cent of 2021 nominees came from either South/Central Asia or from East/Southeast Asia. Other regions that contributed significant numbers of nominees include Europe (12.6%) and Latin America/Caribbean (8.4%).
| Top 5 Individual Source Countries for the SI Stream | ||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| India | India | India |
| China | China | China |
| Iran | Brazil | Brazil |
| Brazil | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| United Kingdom | Iran | South Korea |
Occupations
In 2021, there were no major changes to the distribution of SI nominees among the major occupational categories. Driven primarily by the success of BC PNP Tech, the natural and applied sciences and related continued to be the largest group. As in 2020, about a quarter of nominees belonged to that category.
The occupational category that saw the largest gain was trades, transport and equipment operators and related, which increased from a 13.0 per cent share of 2020 SI nominees to a 16.4 per cent share of 2021 nominees. The ongoing recovery of the retail and restaurant sectors from the COVID-19 pandemic also caused a modest increase in the share of sales and service workers (from 12.8% to 14.3%).
| Occupational Category of SI Nominees 2021 2020 2019 | |||
| Natural and applied sciences and related* （ *Increased nominations in this occupational category are mainly driven by nominees who are part of the BC PNP Tech initiative.） | 24.6% | 26.5% | 20.0% |
| Business, finance and administration | 16.8% | 18.4% | 15.9% |
| Trades, transport and equipment operators and related | 16.4% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Sales and service | 14.3% | 12.8% | 27.6% |
| No listed occupation (IPG) | 12.8% | 13.3% | 11.4% |
| Art, culture, recreation and sport | 5.0% | 5.4% | 5.5% |
| Education, law and social/community/government services | 4.9% | ||
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