British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province, is defined by its Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. The temperature is warmer than other parts of Canada with mild, rainy weather in both summer and winter along the coast and generally warmer but snowy winters inland. The scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway links Whistler with Vancouver, a city known for its film industry, at the province’s southern U.S. border.
• The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) aims to accelerate the process for those wishing to obtain Canadian permanent resident status and who intend to settle permanently in British Columbia.
• Interested candidates must follow a two-stage process: apply for a nomination to the provincial government, and then, if nominated, apply for permanent residence to the federal government.
• There are currently two different streams through which workers or students can apply to the BC PNP: Skills Immigration, Express Entry BC and Entrepreneur Immigration.
The Skills Immigration (SI) category targets skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in BC and is further divided into five components:
1. Skilled Workers
2. Healthcare Professionals
3. International Graduates
4. International Post-Graduates
5. Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Workers
The Express Entry BC program is connected with IRCC’s Express Entry system,enabling the province to nominate qualified candidates for admission to Canada under the federal Express Entry immigration system. To qualify under any of the BC Express Entry streams, you must first meet the minimum eligibility criteria for one of the applicable federal Express Entry programs below:
1. Federal Skilled Worker Program
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program
3. Canadian Experience Class
In addition, potential candidates must qualify for one of the British Columbia Express Entry streams. Although a job offer is not necessary to qualify for the federal program listed above, in order to qualify under British Columbia’s Express Entry stream.
This stream is for business people with significant financial resources who want to operate a business in British Columbia. To apply under the BC Entrepreneur program, you must first register in the BC points-based selection system, and receive an invitation to apply.
There are 3 BC PNP Entrepreneur streams.
1. Entrepreneur Immigration
2. Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot
3. Strategic Projects
The BC PNP Tech Pilot allows British Columbia immigration officials to expedite the processing of immigration candidates for in-demand technology occupations. Through weekly draws, invitations are issued to candidates with work experience in one of 29 eligible occupations in the BC technology sector. The BC PNP Tech Pilot prioritizes technology sector applications under existing BC immigration streams. Candidates must still meet the basic requirements of an applicable British Columbia immigration category or stream, including a minimum one-year job offer from a B.C. employer.
The BC PNP Tech Pilot has been extended to June 2021 to provide B.C. tech employers with the continued ability to recruit and retain international talent when local skilled workers are unavailable.