B.C invites students for immigration who completed remote studies

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) stated that only 50% of the studies are needed to become eligible for immigration. The policy is applicable for international students studying from B.C. only. The announcement was made on 2nd February. The announcement implies that students can complete half of their studies from their home country without attending the college campus and still be eligible for immigration. Furthermore, students who completed most of their studies from Canada and went back to their country during the COVID-19 outbreak may still be eligible for immigration. A student should have finished 50% or more of the studies on-campus if he/she graduated prior to 1st March 2020. For the ones that completed the graduation after 1st March, the study completion should be 50% or more while staying in the country (on-campus not required). Students can present tenant agreements, utility bills, and bank statements to prove that they completed the study while living in Canada. The amendment in online education was placed in action because of the outbreak and the travel restrictions imposed afterward. The policy does not open gates for the students who completed their studies through distance education. They still remain ineligible for nomination as their studies are almost conducted online.

Exemption of International Students from Travel Restrictions

If the student’s learning institution has taken approval from the government on the COVID-19 response plans, then they are exempted from the restrictions. But due to the closures of many Airports, not every student can come for on-campus learning. For now, the majority of the institutions are conducting their classes online, and students are opting for the same while staying at their homes. The Canadian Prime Minister’s announcement about stricter measures may further discourage the students from traveling. The students will have to take the COVID-19 test when they reach the country. Afterward, they will need to stay at an approved hotel by the Canadian government for a minimum of 72 hours during the wait of the results. Altogether, the measures can cost students around $2000.

Requirements for International Graduates

British Columbia continues to conduct draws. In the recent BC PNP draw, the province sent invites to 216 applicants to apply for provincial nomination.

There are 4 streams that can help students to gain eligibility for immigration to British Columbia.

Express Entry B.C. Stream – International Graduate Category.
Express Entry B.C. Stream – International Post-Graduate Category.
Skills Immigration Stream – International Graduate Category.
Skills Immigration Stream – International Post-Graduate Category.

The Express Entry B.C. stream has an alignment under the federal Express Entry plan. That means you must possess an Express Entry profile and should be eligible for any of the programs mentioned below to become eligible for the Express Entry B.C. Stream:

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

If you wish to immigrate to British Columbia under the Express Entry B.C. stream, then you should have completed your education from a post-secondary institution in the country. Also, the applicant should have a valid job offer, and he/she must meet the threshold for income requirement. The international graduates who wish to apply under the Skills Immigration system must have completed their graduation in the last three years. Also, other than meeting the above requirements, they should know the language required in their profession and be able to support themselves and their families. Suppose you are a post-graduate international student and want to immigrate to British Columbia through any of the streams mentioned above. In that case, you must possess a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in an eligible profession. That could be the health sector, engineering, physical sciences, and many others. A simple job offer will not suffice for post-graduates; they will have to demonstrate that they will be living in British Columbia permanently.