BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (BC PNP)
A province situated on Canada’s western coast, British Columbia is amongst the top destinations for Canadian immigration due to its economic growth and labour market demands.
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an economic immigration program administered by the Government of British Columbia’s Immigration Programs Branch.
The program enables the province to select and nominate foreign workers, international students and entrepreneurs to help meet B.C.’s labour market needs, support government priorities, and help grow B.C.’s economy. If you are nominated, you and your family can apply to IRCC to become a permanent resident of Canada.
What are different BC PNP Immigration Pathways?
British Columbia Skill Immigration
British Columbia Skills Immigration is a collection of immigration streams contained within the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of British Columbia. Through the BC Skills Immigration streams, workers and international graduates with the skills, education, and/or experience required to successfully contribute to the BC economy may be nominated for Canadian permanent residence.
Skilled and semi-skilled workers in highly demanded occupations in British Columbia can apply through Skills Immigration that adopts an invitation system based on points.
These streams are also further divided into different sub-categories:
- British Columbia International Post-Graduate
Skilled and semi-skilled workers in highly demanded occupations in British Columbia can apply through Skills Immigration that adopts an invitation system based on points.
- British Columbia Skilled Worker
This sub-category allows the skilled workers with a job offer from the provincial employer to apply for BC PNP provincial nomination. You need to have minimum required work experience in a skilled occupation.
- British Columbia Healthcare Professional
This sub-category allows professionals in the healthcare industry like physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses, or allied health professionals with the job offer and work experience to apply for provincial nomination.
- British Columbia International Graduate
This sub-category allows the recently graduated international students from an eligible educational institution in the past three years to apply for provincial nomination. You need to have a job offer to be eligible for this sub-category.
- British Columbia Semi-Skilled and Entry Level Worker
This immigration sub-category is for a semi-skilled or entry-level position in various industries like hospitality/ tourism, long haul trucking, food processing, or for those working in a semi-skilled or entry-level position, working and living in the Northeast Development Region of the province.
British Columbia Express Entry
British Columbia Express Entry is a swifter pathway for qualified skilled workers to migrate to the province. In this stream, British Columbia can search for skilled candidates in the express entry pool and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination. BC Express Entry has an invitation system based on points. It is a completely digital process for registration and application for both PNP BC and PR processes. This immigration stream is termed Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC).
British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration
British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration category is for experienced Entrepreneurs who intend to actively manage a business in the province. It has an invitation system based on points and the applicants must possess the required investment and personal funds. Entrepreneurs with noteworthy personal net worth and overseas firms with high yearly revenue can migrate to the province by establishing fresh enterprises in British Columbia. There are two sub-categories under BC entrepreneur immigration:
- Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot: This category allows experienced businessmen to run their own business in smaller communities in British Columbia.
- Entrepreneur Immigration Base Category: This immigration category is for business owners or senior managers who want to invest intro proposed business in British Columbia
BC PNP Tech Pilot Program
The Tech Pilot program of British Columbia is aimed at overseas nationals employed in any one of the in-demand technology occupations of the province. To be eligible for BC PNP Tech Pilot, an applicant is required to have a full-time job offer from an eligible employer of the province. It is aligned with the Skills Immigration stream of the province. British Columbia’s tech sector is one of the main pillars for the economic growth of the province. The demand for talent in British Columbia’s technology sector is growing faster than the supply.
Tech Pilot enables qualified overseas citizens to access quicker processing and extra resources via applications.
What are the documents required for BC PNP?
- A valid passport
- A Job-Offer Letter
- Educational certificates (degree, diploma, and certificates)
- Work-Related Reference Letters
- Language proficiency (IELTS)
- Civil identity proof (age, name, date of birth must be mentioned)
- Evidence that you can support yourself (and your dependents if applicable)
- Documents that show you have or be eligible for legal immigration status in Canada
- Police certificate and clearance