Famous for its Strait of Georgia, the Della Falls, and of course, fresh seafood and salmon, this beautiful province is located in the most western part of Canada. It is the third largest province, 4 times the size of Great Britain, with breathtaking mountains and heavens and some of the mildest weather in Canada.
The British Colombia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) offers prospective immigrants with the skills and experience targeted by the province, to receive a British Columbia Provincial Nomination Certificate, which will allow that foreign national to apply for Canadian permanent residence with processing times that are faster than other Canadian immigration classes.
Currently, The BC PNP accepts applications under two main immigration categories:
- Skills Immigration (including Express Entry British Columbia)
- Entrepreneur Immigration
Note: On June 18, 2019, the BC PNP issued invitations for qualified candidates to apply through the Skills Immigration and Express Entry stream and June 13, 2019, for the Entrepreneur Immigration stream.
Skills Immigration
BC PNP Skills Immigration is divided into several sub-categories:
- Skilled Worker Category —is for individuals who have received an eligible job offer in a skilled occupation such as Technical, trade, and professional. Workers are expected to have several years of experience in their skilled occupation.
- Health Care Professional Category — individuals with experience and eligible job offers, such as physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses, or allied health professionals may apply. An eligible job offer must be acquired for one of 11 qualifying health occupations. There are different requirements for midwives.
- International Post-Graduates, B.C. Degree Category — is for graduates with Master’s or Doctoral degrees from an eligible educational institution in British Columbia in eligible fields such as technology, health care, and applied sciences sectors. No job offer is required to apply under this sub-category.
- International Graduates, Canadian Degree Category — this is for individuals who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college outside of British Columbia in the last three years. A job offer must be obtained to be eligible under this sub-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 may be eligible for immigration through this program. A job offer must be obtained to be eligible under this sub-category.
Express Entry British Columbia
The British Columbia Express Entry stream allows eligible applicants to receive priority processing of both their BC PNP application, and if nominated, their permanent residence application.
The Skilled Worker category (including Health Care Professionals, International Graduates, and International Post Graduates) may be processed through Express Entry British Columbia.
Entrepreneur Immigration
Individuals who intend to settle and invest in British Columbia may be eligible for Canadian permanent residency under this immigration stream. This program is broken down into sub-categories:
- Base Category — is for eligible senior managers or business owners who intend to invest and manage a valid business in British Columbia.
- Regional Pilot Category — is for eligible senior managers or business owners who intend to invest and manage a valid business in a nominated regional community in British Columbia; anywhere outside of the Vancouver and Abbotsford metropolitan areas, may apply under this sub-category.
- Strategic Projects Category — allows eligible foreign-controlled companies to set up an operation in British Columbia. Up to five key foreign managerial, professional or technical staff members can be nominated for permanent residency in the province.
Contact us for more information.