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British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)

British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province

Home to the country’s third-largest city, Vancouver, British Columbia is one of the most diverse provinces in all of Canada. Its economy focuses on a strong natural resources sector, with an emphasis on forestry and mining. Its natural environment, with expansive forests and a unique coastal climate, It is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Canada and the whole world.

The BC PNP is British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program. This is the pathway for people with the skills, experience and qualifications needed by B.C. employers. An applicant may 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.

The BC PNP accepts applications under three main immigration streams:

  • Skills Immigration (including Express Entry British Columbia)
  • Entrepreneur Immigration

These streams are further divided into categories. Below we provide you with additional information about each to help you determine if the BC PNP is right for you.

Skills Immigration

BC PNP Skills Immigration is divided into the following categories:

Skilled Worker Category — aligned with federal Express Entry system, this category is for skilled worker who has a valid job offer from an eligible BC employer and want to live and work in BC.

  • Health Care Professional Category— aligned with federal Express Entry system, individuals with experience and eligible job offers, 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.
  • International Graduate Category— aligned with federal Express Entry system this category is for individuals who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college in the last two years and have a valid job offer  from a BC employer.
  • International Post-Graduate Category— aligned with federal Express Entry system this category is for graduates with Masters or Doctoral degrees from an eligible educational institution in British Columbia in the natural, applied, or health sciences programs of study. No job offer is required to apply.
  • 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, or those in entry-level or semi-skilled positions living and working in the Northeast Development Region of British Columbia, may be eligible to apply in this category.

Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS)

NOTE: On January 27, 2016, the government of British Columbia announced a new Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) for the BC PNP. This points-based system gives candidates a registration score that determines whether they may be invited to apply. The score is based on a number of factors — such as level of education, years of direct work experience and a B.C. employment offer.

Entrepreneur Immigration

This stream is considered as a pathway for experienced business people who want to start a business in B.C. and become permanent residents. This program is broken down into two categories:

  • Entrepreneur Category— You may be eligible if you are a senior managers or business owners who intend to invest funds into a proposed business in British Columbia.
  • Strategic Projects Category— In this category, if you are one of the five managerial, technical staff, professional  or foreign-controlled companies who set up an operation in British Columbia. You can be nominated for permanent residence in the province.

Tech Pilot

If you have a valid job offer from a BC employer in one of the province’s in-demand occupations, you may eligible to apply.