The Provincial Nominee Program in British Columbia has three streams: Skills Immigration, Business Immigration, and Express Entry British Columbia. Within each stream, there are various categories for qualification.
The Skills Immigration stream is intended for attracting foreign nationals with the skills, experience, and qualifications needed by B.C. employers.
To be eligible, the applicant must satisfy the criteria in one of the following categories:
Skilled Workers (Managers, professionals and skilled trades people)
To apply in the Skilled Worker category, the applicant must obtain a full-time and indeterminate length job offer in an occupation classified as Skill Level 0, A, or B in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The applicant must have two (2) years of directly related work experience in the employment being offered and normally the applicant will also require post-secondary education related to the field of employment. A written offer of employment on official company letterhead from your employer must be presented. The letter must be signed and dated by an employee, or owner, of the company who is authorized to hire employees, signed and dated by you confirming that you accept the job offer. Any mandatory certification, licensing or registration must be obtained if the job offer is in a regulated occupation. The applicant must also provide evidence that they can financially support themselves and any dependents by meeting minimum income requirements set by the province. For applicants of NOC skill level B occupations, they must meet minimum language requirements.
The employer making the job offer must meet eligibility criteria to qualify, including:
Before a job offer can be made, the employer must meet the domestic labour market recruitment requirements set by PNP. This may include advertising the position for at least two weeks. Lastly, the job offer must include a wage at market rate and comparable to the rate paid to workers with a similar level of experience and training for equivalent jobs in B.C.
To be eligible for the BC PNP’s Skills Immigration streams, except for the International Post-Graduate stream, you must meet minimum income requirements according to your:
Healthcare Professionals (Physicians, registered nurses, and other health care workers)
To be eligible, the applicant must be sponsored by or have a full-time job offer from a public health authority as one of the following professions:
Physician or Specialist The applicant must be sponsored by one of B.C.’s five regional health authorities or by the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Registered Nurse, Registered Psychiatric Nurse, or Nurse Practitioner The applicant must have a job offer for a full-time and indeterminate length position from one of B.C.’s five regional health authorities or by the Provincial Health Services Authority. The applicant must be registered with the appropriate regulatory body for the profession.
Midwife The applicant must have a letter of confirmation from an established practice group in B.C. that confirms the applicant is accepted as an affiliated midwife for a minimum period of two (2) years. The applicant must also register with the College of Midwives of British Columbia.
Allied Health Professional (for example, clinical pharmacist, occupational therapist, laboratory technologist) The applicant must have a job offer for a full-time and indeterminate length position from one of B.C.’s five regional health authorities or by the Provincial Health Services Authority. As well, the applicant must be registered with the provincial licensing body that regulates the applicant’s health care profession.
You must also:
Entry Level or Semi-Skilled Workers
To be eligible, the applicant requires a job offer for a full-time and indeterminate length position within an eligible occupation, as set by the PNP office, in tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking, or food processing. The job offer must include a wage at market rate and comparable to the rate paid to workers with a similar level of experience and training for equivalent jobs in B.C.
The applicant must currently be employed full-time in the position being offered and have been employed in this same position for at least nine consecutive months immediately prior to applying for PNP. This full-time employment with the employer must be maintained throughout the PNP and permanent residence application processes.
To qualify, the applicant must have completed secondary education as well as meet any regulatory or licensing requirements for the occupation of the job offer. An English language proficiency test showing the applicant meets a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in listening, speaking, reading and writing is also necessary. Lastly, the applicant must also provide evidence that they can financially support themselves and any dependents by meeting minimum income requirements set by the province.
The employer making the job offer must meet eligibility criteria to qualify.
International Graduates
International students who graduated from a Canadian university or college within the past three years are eligible to apply provided they have a job offer for a full-time and indeterminate length position that typically requires a university or college education. No previous work experience is required.
The degree or diploma awarded to the student must be from a Canadian post-secondary institution authorized to grant degrees and the program studied must have been at least 8 months (two semesters) of full-time equivalent studies. The applicant must submit a PNP application within three years of the date shown on their official transcript as indicating they have completed all requirements of the study program. Diplomas and Certificates from a private institution are ineligible.
The job offer must be in an occupation within a NOC Skill Level 0, A or B. Regulated occupations also require proof the applicant meets mandatory certification, licensing or registration. The applicant must also provide evidence that they can financial support themselves and any dependents by meeting minimum income requirements set by the province.
The employer making the job offer must meet eligibility criteria to qualify. Lastly, the job offer must include a wage at market rate and comparable to the rate paid to workers with a similar level of experience and training for equivalent jobs in B.C.
International Post-Graduate – Master’s or Doctoral Degree in the Natural, Applied or Health Sciences
International students who graduated from a B.C. post-secondary institution with a master’s or doctoral degree in the natural, applied or health sciences are eligible to apply to PNP without requiring a job offer from an employer. The student must have completed their degree from eligible B.C. post-secondary institution in a specified list of study programs related to the sciences fields. The applicant must submit an application to PNP within three (3) years of completing their studies. Since no job offer is required, the applicant must show evidence of their intention to reside in B.C.
Your graduate degree (master’s or doctorate) must be in one of the following programs of study in the natural, applied or health sciences:
The Entrepreneur Immigration Stream is intended for entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in and actively manage a business in BC.
To qualify under this stream, you must:
With the introduction of Express Entry in January 2015 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), B.C. PNP has created a specific nomination stream related to Express Entry.
Applicants in one of categories established for Express Entry British Columbia will receive priority processing of their PNP applications.
To be eligible the applicant must meet the criteria for at least one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to IRCC’s Express Entry system (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, and Federal Skilled Trade). In addition, the applicant must meet the eligibility criteria in one of PNP’s Express Entry British Columbia categories:
Express Entry British Columbia – Skilled Worker This category requires the applicant to meet the requirements established in the Skilled Worker category of the Skills Immigration stream.
Express Entry British Columbia – Health Care Professional This category requires the applicant to meet the requirements established in the Health Care Professional category of the Skills Immigration stream.
Express Entry British Columbia – International Graduate This category requires the applicant to meet the requirements established in the International Graduate category of the Skills Immigration stream.
Express Entry British Columbia – International Post Graduate The applicant must meet the requirements established in the International Graduate – Master’s or Doctoral Degree in the Natural, Applied or Health Sciences category of the Skills Immigration stream.
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