Immigration
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
The BC Provincial Nominee program enables the province to nominate foreign workers, international students and entrepreneurs to help meet the needs of the B.C. labour market and help build the economy.
immigrate to British Columbia
Step-by-step guide on how you can immigrate to British Columbia
The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an immigration program managed by the Government of British Columbia’s Immigration Programs Department.
Register with the skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) so that B.C. can review your profession, education, location in B.C., language skills and pay against the provincial labour market needs.
A registration score is given based on various factors and are entered into a selection pool for the specific category. Those who meet specific criteria and who have a good score are invited to apply for a provincial nomination in a provincial draw.
After this, the candidates will have 30 days to apply through BCPNP Online.
Depending on whether you receive a provincial nomination, you can then apply for permanent residence with the Canadian government.
BC Provincial Nominee program
BC immigration pathways
If you wish to immigrate to British Columbia, then you have three options to choose from:
Skills Immigration
British Columbia’s needs skilled and experienced workers to support its growing economy. The Skilled Worker stream is a way for foreign workers in a professional, management or other skilled occupation to apply for permanent residence in B.C.
Healthcare Professional Category
The Healthcare stream allows people working for a health authority in B.C. to apply for permanent residency. To be eligible for this pathway you have to be a physician, midwife or a nurse practitioner.
International Post-Graduate category
Thi stream is designed for recent graduates who have completed a Master’s or Doctoral degree from an eligible institution in British Columbia.
International Graduate Category
This stream is dedicated to recent graduates from Canadian post-secondary educational institutions who have an offer of employment from a BC employer in a skilled position.
Entry level and semi-skilled worker category
The Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream is a way for workers in a low skilled occupation such as tourism/hospitality, or food processing sectors who have received an offer of employment from a BC employer to gain permanent residence in B.C.
Minimum Requirements
- Have been working full-time for your employer for a minimum of nine consecutive months before applying.
- Candidates must have a valid job offer for full-time, indeterminate employment from a BC employer.
- Candidates must provide language test results proving English or French language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.
- Prove you can support yourself and your dependants
- Have legal immigration status in Canada
BC PNP Tech
Eligible occupations
To be eligible for the BC PNP Tech program, candidate must be registered for one of the BC Skills Immigration programs. BC PNP provides invitations every week to qualified candidates who have a valid job offer in one of the 29 eligible in demand technology occupations. Candidates will need to meet the basic requirements of each British Columbia immigration category, which includes a minimum one-year job offer from a B.C. employer.
BC PNP Tech key features
<strong>Dedicated concierge service</strong>
Tech employers have access to relevant immigration information.
<strong>Weekly invitations for tech candidates</strong>
Tech employers have timely access to qualified individuals in the 29 key tech occupations.
<strong>Priority processing</strong>
edicated BC PNP Tech Team and next business day assignment of tech applications in the 29 in-demand occupations.
<strong>Focused outreach and engagement</strong>
BC PNP sessions and events tailored for the tech sector, including one-on-one employer support.
Who is not eligible to apply?
- A candidate whose Express Entry profile expires in 5 months or less
- If the primary occupation in the Express Entry profile:
- is on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list
- has a high volume of submissions across all AAIP streams
Application procedure
- A candidate may register online and receive a registration score. Registration is free.
- Every week , the BC PNP will holds a tech draw to invite the highest-scoring technology sector registrants to apply.
- Invited candidates have up to 30 calendar days from the date of invitation to submit the online application. The application fee is $700.
- The application is processed on a priority basis.
- If approved, the applicant receives a nomination that he or she can use to apply for permanent residence.
- Individuals who have been nominated and who meet the conditions of their nomination will receive a work permit support letter that allows them to obtain or renew their current work permit.
Entrepreneur Immigration
Eligibility
- Personal net worth of atleast $600,000, legally obtained.
- Personal investment of atleast $200,000 in the business
- Create at least one new full-time job in your business for a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.
- English or French language skill equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher
- Business and/or management experience
- Have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada.
- Have been lawfully admitted to the country where you currently reside.
Process
Candidates must,
- Prepare a business proposal
- Register their proposal with the BC PNP
- Get a work permit
- Build their business
- BC PNP nomination
- Permanent Residence
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions
Any questions? We have got you covered
