British Columbia PNP

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program

British Columbia (BC) is Canada’s westernmost province widely known for its Pacific coastline and mountain ranges. It is one of the most diverse provinces and is home to the country’s third largest city, Vancouver. Vancouver is consistently listed as one of the world’s best cities to live in, making it ever popular with immigrants.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (British Columbia PNP) is aimed at providing a fast-track service for permanent resident applications for experienced and skilled workers. It also caters for business people and their eligible family members to settle in BC permanently.

In addition, the British Columbia PNP was designed to attract foreign nationals with the necessary skills and experience targeted by the province. These foreign nationals include high-impact workers and entrepreneurs suitable to BC’s labour market and economic development priorities.

These pathways offer applicants the chance to become permanent residents of British Columbia, this depends on NOC (National Occupational Classifications) skills, work experience and your status as an international student. These are the pathways to apply for through the PNP:

  • Skills Immigration;
  • Entrepreneur;
  • Express Entry;and
  • Tech Pilot

Foreign nationals applying through the BC PNP enjoy processing times that are faster than other Canadian immigration programs.

Economic growth in BC largely depends on people and their productivity. If qualified workers and entrepreneurs meet labour market and economic development demands, the province will continue to prosper.

Immigration, therefore, plays an all-important role in helping BC meet its current and future labour market shortages.

The British Columbia PNP Immigration Pathways

The immigration process and registration for the BC PNP depends on which of the pathways you can apply for, this is determined by your:

  • National Occupational Classification (NOC);
  • Work Experience;
  • Skill Level; or
  • International Student Status

The BC PNP Accepts Applications for Immigration to the Province Under Four Main Streams:

Skills immigration
Entrepreneur immigration
Express Entry British Columbia
Tech Pilot

1. British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program Skills Immigration

Also known as the Skills Immigration or SI, this stream lets you apply if you have the right:

  • Work experience;
  • Qualifications; and
  • Skillset

The SI stream can help you become a permanent resident of BC

The BC PNP Skills Immigration Is Also Divided Into the Following Categories:

Skilled Worker Category – This is for individuals who have received an eligible job offer in technical, management, trade or a skilled occupation. Individuals must have several years of work experience in their occupation to apply. This category also lets applicants apply for permanent residence in the province.
Health Care Professional Category – Individuals with experience and eligible job offers as physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses or other health-related professionals may apply in this category.
International Post Graduate Category – This is for individuals who have a degree in science from a recognized BC institution, who plan to continue their studies in the field of applied sciences, technology or healthcare.
International Graduate Category – This is for individuals who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college in the last three years. A job offer from a BC employer is also required in this 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 this category.

To apply for the SI system you must:

  • Create an online profile through the BC PNP and register;
  • Choose one of the five categories:
    • Skilled Worker;
    • Healthcare Professional;
    • International Post Graduate;
    • International Graduate; or
    • Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
  • Receive a registration score and enter into a selection pool for the category you chose;
  • Complete your registration when you receive your confirmation email along with you BC PNP registration number. Please note that your registration will be kept in the pool for 12 months; and
  • Get an Invitation to Apply from BC if you meet all the requirements

2. British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program Entrepreneur Immigration

This stream is for experienced entrepreneurs who intend to invest in and actively manage an eligible business in the province.

Individuals must have business ownership and management experience. They must demonstrate that they are able to:

  • Establish themselves in BC;
  • Invest in a new or existing business; and
  • Employ Canadian citizens or permanent residents to give significant economic benefits to the province

Why Entrepreneurs Choose BC

British Columbia is one of Canada’s most dynamic places to do business. Entrepreneurs benefit from its strategic location, low taxes, competitive operating costs and a multicultural workforce that is well-educated, highly-skilled and productive.

If you are an entrepreneur who is ready to invest in and actively manage a business in the province, you may be eligible.

Applications Under BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Are Assessed Based on the Following Factors:

Business and work experience
Personal net worth and source of funds
Adaptability; and
A well-detailed business proposal, which should include proposed investment and job creation in BC

The business must include:

  • A short business concept and will be assigned points based on the:
    • Proposed commercial viability;
    • Transferability of the candidate’s skills; and
    • Economic benefits for the province
  • An applicant with a personal net worth of at least CAD$600,000;
  • An applicant who can demonstrate business or management experience of at least three years in a relevant position;
  • An applicant who has or can apply for legal immigration status in Canada; and
  • An applicant who has been lawfully admitted into the country where they currently live

Once the candidate receives an Invitation to Apply, they will be required to submit a more comprehensive business plan.

Basic Investment Requirements

In order for the registration to be accepted, the candidate must demonstrate that they will:

  • Create a new business or improve an existing one; and
  • Make a personal investment of CAD$200,000 in the business

Basic Job Requirements

The candidate must demonstrate that the business will:

  • Create at least one permanent full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; and
  • Provide long-term employment creation for Canadians and permanent residents

3. British Columbia Express Entry

This stream is part of the BC PNP, which is in turn part of the federal Express Entry system. It is one of the fastest ways to get permanent residence in the province.

This stream is broken into several other categories, namely the:

  • EE PNP Skilled Worker;
  • EE PNP International Graduate;
  • EE PNP International Post Graduate; and
  • EE PNP Healthcare Professional

EE PNP Skilled Worker

This category is for skilled workers who have jobs that are in high demand in the province.

To qualify for this category you must:

Have a valid job offer from a BC employer
Have an Express Entry Profile Number and Job Seeker Validation Code to show you meet the minimum requirements of one of the three federal programs;
Have a full-time job offer for a permanent position that fits the National Occupational Classification, skill type 0, A or B;
Have at least two years of relevant work experience;
Have enough funds to support you and your dependents;
Have a wage offer that meets BC employment requirements;
Have legal immigration status for the program; and
Have the necessary language skills

EE PNP International Graduate

This category is for international students who have graduated from a Canadian university or college within the past three years.

EE PNP International Post-Graduate

This category was made for students looking for a career in BC in the fields of healthcare, applied sciences or technology. You can apply even if you do not have a job offer.

Who Can Apply

You must have graduated with either a Master’s or a PhD within the past three years in any of the following fields:

  • Agriculture;
  • Biomedical or biological sciences;
  • Computer or informational sciences;
  • Conservation and research of natural resources;
  • Engineering or Engineering technology;
  • Healthcare or clinical sciences;
  • Mathematics or statistics;
  • Healthcare or clinical sciences;
  • Mathematics or statistics;
  • Physical sciences

EE PNP Healthcare Professional

This category was made for healthcare professionals such as nurses, physicians and specialists to gain permanent residence in BC through gaining work experience in the province.

How to Qualify

To qualify for the EE PNP Healthcare Professional program you must:

  • Have an Express Entry Profile number and Job Seeker Validation Code;
  • Have a full-time job as a legal:
    • Physician:
    • Healthcare specialist;
    • Registered nurse; or
    • Health professional like a:
      • Diagnostic medical sonographer;
      • Clinical pharmacist;
      • Occupational therapist; or
      • Physiotherapist

Please note that if you are a midwife, you must have:

  • A letter of Confirmation from an acknowledged medical institution in BC
  • At least two years experience in this field;
  • An employer who is willing to support your application;
  • Enough funds to support yourself and your dependents; and
  • Met all the language requirements