British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC-PNP)

British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province, outlined by Pacific coastline and mountain ranges. British Columbia is a strong, diverse, and multicultural economy, creating growth opportunities for individuals and businesses. Varied geography and regional climates contribute to the beauty of British Columbia. The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC-PNP) is an immigrant nominee program that provides opportunities to international students, skilled workers, and entrepreneurs to move to BC. Through this program, the province nominates skilled and experienced candidates and offer them a British Columbia Provincial Nomination Certificate to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The BC-PNP has two broad immigration streams:

• Skills Immigration (including Express Entry BC) for foreign workers and graduates
• Entrepreneur Immigration

These streams have different categories. Look into these categories to determine if the BC-PNP is a suitable pathway for immigrating to Canada.

Skills Immigration Stream 

Skills Immigration Stream includes candidates who can meet labour demands of BC employers through their skills, work experience, and qualifications. BC-PNP Skills Immigration stream includes these categories:

• Skilled Worker Category- To qualify for this category, candidates must first accept a valid job offer from a B.C. employer. Your job offer must be in NOC skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B), to meet eligibility. The applicant should also have relevant training and at least two years of relevant work experience. 

• Healthcare Professional Category- To qualify for this category, applicants must have relevant experience or a valid job offer from a public health authority as physicians, nurses, or allied health professionals. You have to get a job offer for one of the 11 qualifying health occupations with at least two years of relevant experience.

• International Graduate Category- Applicants who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university within the last three years are eligible under this category. Candidates must have a valid job offer from an employer in BC. Your job offer must be in NOC skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B), to meet eligibility.

• International Post-Graduate Category- To qualify for this category, candidates must have completed their Master’s or Doctoral degrees in the natural, applied, or health sciences from an eligible institution in British Columbia within the last three years. Candidates do not need a job offer to apply for permanent residence under this category.

• Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category- This category is for workers in a valid tourism/hospitality, food processing, or long-haul trucking occupation to apply for permanent residency in British Columbia. To qualify for this category, candidates must first accept a valid job offer. Also, candidates have to work for at least nine consecutive months for their employer before applying.

 1. Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS)

To start with your application for the Skills Immigration stream of BC PNP, you have to register yourself with SIRS. Only applicants under Skilled Worker, International Graduate, and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled categories have to register themselves. Applicants under International Post-Graduate and Healthcare Professional can directly apply through BCPNP Online. SIRS is a point-based system that helps B.C. to nominate candidates that can meet the labour market needs. Through registration, B.C. assesses your job, language ability, education, wage, and location. Economic factors that influence your SIRS score are:

•       The NOC skill level of your B.C. job offer
•       The annual wage offered by the employer
•       The location of your employment

Factors that assess your ability to settle in B.C. are:

•       Relevant work experience
•       Level of education
•       English language proficiency

2. Express Entry British Columbia

The Express Entry BC stream connects to the federal Express Entry System to improve the processing times of BC-PNP applications. This stream allows nominated applicants to receive an Invitation to Apply and obtain permanent resident status in B.C. on a priority basis. Only these Skills Immigration categories can be processed through EEBC:

• Skilled Worker Category
• Healthcare Professional Category
• International Graduate Category
• International Post-Graduate Category

  

Registration with BCPNP

Only applicants under EEBC- Skilled Worker and EEBC- International Graduate categories have to register with SIRS, and for the other two categories, applicants can directly apply online. Create your Express Entry profile with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), before the registration. Apply under any of the following programs after checking your eligibility:

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

You will receive an Express Entry profile number and Job Seeker validation code, once IRCC confirms your eligibility. After this, you can register with BCPNP for the further immigration process.

 Entrepreneur Immigration

The purpose of the Entrepreneur Immigration stream is to invite new immigrants as permanent residents of Canada, who can promote innovation and economic growth in the province. This stream has two categories:

 1. Entrepreneur Immigration Category

To qualify for this category, applicants must be senior managers or business owners willing to invest funds into a business in British Columbia.  o   Entrepreneur Immigration- Regional Pilot- Under the pilot program, international entrepreneurs can set up a new business in small or regional communities in British Columbia. The purpose is to promote economic development in the community as well as boost investments outside urban areas.  o   Entrepreneur Immigration- Base Category- Under this program, international entrepreneurs can establish a new business or purchase an existing business in British Columbia. To qualify, you must:

 Personal Requirements

• Have a personal net worth of at least CAD$600,000
• Have business/management experience
• Have English or French language proficiency equivalent to at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4

 Business and Investment Requirements

• Establish an eligible new business or purchase an existing business
• Make an eligible personal investment of at least CAD$200,000 in the business
• Create at least one full-time job opportunity for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in the business

 2. Strategic Projects Category

Under this category, foreign corporations who have identified strategic investment opportunities in B.C. can establish their operations for the growth of their business. For the establishment of business, up to five managerial, professional, or technical members can apply for Canadian permanent residency in B.C. under this category.  Want to immigrate to Canada, not sure where to start? Do not worry, contact the expert immigration consultants at immigtoronto.com to get a brief about the Express Entry system and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) for immigration to Canada. Let us guide you with the application process for Canadian immigration and residency. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs