British Columbia PNP

Located on Canada’s west coast, British Columbia is recognized for the inimitable natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The province’s economic growth and labour force needs make it a top destination for immigration in Canada.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), is a collection of immigration pathways enabling foreign nationals to become Canadian permanent residents in BC. The PNP is strategically designed to attract immigrants in areas which will benefit the province: skilled workers, workers in sectors with labour shortages, entrepreneurs, and investors. The province operates several immigration streams divided among two categories:

• British Columbia Skills Immigration
• British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration

BC Skills Immigration

British Columbia Skills Immigration targets foreign nationals who have the skills to become meaningful members of BC’s workforce. The pathways within BC Skills Immigration emphasize immigrants who have employment prospects in BC and who demonstrate the experience needed to secure and maintain employment as BC residents.

• British Columbia Skilled Worker
• British Columbia Healthcare Professional
• British Columbia International Graduate
• British Columbia International Post-Graduate
• British Columbia Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker (ELSS)

British Columbia Express Entry

Candidates are not required to be eligible for Express Entry to apply to the BC Skills Immigration streams. However, most of the programs contained within BC Skills Immigration offer an accelerated pathway to permanent residence for eligible candidates who have an active Express Entry profile. Refer to the application procedure of each stream to determine whether it offers an Express Entry pathway.

BC Entrepreneur Immigration

British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration targets foreign nationals and foreign companies who have demonstrated track records of success in business ownership, management, and investment. Individual entrepreneurs with significant personal net worth and international corporations with high annual revenues may immigrate to BC through the establishment of new enterprises in the province.

• British Columbia Entrepreneur
• British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot
• British Columbia Strategic Projects

BC PNP Tech

BC PNP Tech targets skilled foreign nationals working in one of BC’s in-demand tech occupations. The Tech program is aligned with BC Skills Immigration, so interested applicants should review the various streams contained within the Skills Immigration category. BC PNP Tech enables eligible foreign nationals to receive faster processing and additional resources through applications.

Skills Immigration

BC PNP Skills Immigration is divided into the following categories:

Skilled Worker Category 

This category is for individuals who have received an eligible job offer in a skilled occupation. Workers are expected to have several years of experience in their skilled occupation.

Healthcare Professional Category 

Under this category individuals with experience and eligible job offers, as physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses or allied health professionals may apply. An eligible job offer must be acquired for one of 11 qualifying health occupations.

International Graduate Category 

This category is for individuals who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college in the last three years. A job offer must be obtained from a BC employer to be eligible under this sub-category.

International Post-Graduate Category

 This category is for graduates with Masters or Doctoral degrees from an eligible educational institution in British Columbia in the natural, applied, or health sciences programs of study. No job offer is required to apply under this sub-category.

Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category 

Workers in certain entry-level or semi-skilled positions in tourism/hospitality, food processing, or long-haul trucking, or those in entry-level or semi-skilled positions living and working in the Northeast Development Region of British Columbia, may be eligible for immigration through this program.

Application Fee: $1,150 for processing. A request for review would cost an additional CAD $500.

Processing time: 2-3 months

Minimum Requirements:

• Must have accepted a full-time job offer (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must have a wage offer in line with the provincial wage rates (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must show you can support yourself and your family (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must meet minimum language requirements (for NOC skill level B, or for the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category);
• Must meet any additional requirements specific to your category;
• Employer must also be meet eligibility criteria (except for the International Post-Graduate Category).

Express Entry British Columbia

Express Entry BC aligns with the federal government’s Express Entry immigration selection system, allowing eligible applicants to receive priority processing of both their BC PNP application and if nominated, their permanent residence application.

The following Skills Immigration categories may be processed through Express Entry British Columbia:

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

Application Fee: CAD $1,150

Processing Time: 2-3 months

Minimum Requirements:

• Must have a valid profile with the federal Express Entry system;
• Must have a Job Seeker Validation Code from the Express Entry system;
• Must have accepted a full-time job offer (except for the International Post-Graduate Category)
• Must have a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must be able to support yourself and your family (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must meet minimum language requirements (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must meet additional requirements specific to your category;
• Employer must also be eligible (except for the International Post-Graduate Category