BCPNP

Skilled Worker

British Columbia’s growing economy requires skilled workers in high-demand occupations. The Skills Immigration (SI) – Skilled Worker category of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is a way for workers in a professional, management, technical, trade or other skilled occupation to gain permanent residence in B.C.

To qualify for this category, you must:

• have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer (a permanent job, or one with no set end date) from a B.C. employer. The job must be in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B).
• be qualified to perform the duties of the job
• have at least two (2) years of directly related work experience
• show you can support yourself and your dependents
• have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• for NOC skill level B occupations, meet minimum language requirements
• have a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation

Entry Level and Semi-Skilled

The Skills Immigration (SI) – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is a way for workers in a valid tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking or food processing occupation to gain permanent residence in B.C.

Please note that this category is not eligible under the Express Entry BC stream.

To qualify for this category, you must:

• have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer (a permanent job, or one with no set end date) from a B.C. employer in a specific occupation in tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking, or the food processing industry. For the Northeast Development Region of B.C., you may apply in any National Occupational Classification occupation (skill level C or D).
• have been working full-time for your employer for a minimum of nine consecutive months before applying
• meet minimum language and education requirements
• qualify to do the job offered to you
• show you can support yourself and your dependents
• have legal immigration status in Canada
• be earning a wage in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation

International Graduate

Did you graduate with a valid qualification from an eligible Canadian university or college within the last three years? The Skills Immigration (SI) – International Graduate category of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) can help you gain permanent residence in B.C.

To qualify for this category, you must:

• have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer (a permanent job, or one with no set end date) from a B.C. employer. The job must be in a National Occupational Classification skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B).
• qualify to work in your occupation in B.C.
• show you can support yourself and your dependents
• have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• have completed a degree, diploma or certificate from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada in the past three years
• for NOC skill level B occupations, meet minimum language requirements
• have a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation

International Post-Graduate

Do you have a graduate degree in the sciences from an eligible B.C. institution? Consider advancing your career in B.C.’s growing technology, health care, and applied sciences sectors.

The Skills Immigration (SI) – International Post-Graduate category of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) can help you gain permanent residence in B.C. You don’t need a job offer to apply.

Which graduate degrees are valid?

You must have graduated in the last three years with a master’s or doctorate (PhD) degree in the natural, applied or health sciences:

• agriculture
• biological and biomedical sciences
• computer and information sciences and support services
• engineering
• engineering technology
• health professions and related clinical sciences
• mathematics and statistics
• natural resources conservation and research
• physical sciences

To qualify for this category, you must:

• have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• have completed a valid graduate program of study at an eligible post-secondary institution in B.C. in the last three years.
• show your intent and ability to live in B.C.

Entrepreneur Immigration

If you want to immigrate to B.C. and are ready to invest in and actively manage a valid business here, you may qualify for our Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category. Here is an overview of the requirements.

Personal requirements

To qualify, you must:

• have a personal net worth of at least CAD$600,000
• demonstrate business and/or management experience
• have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• minimum CLB 4 equivalent in English or French

Business, job and investment requirements

To qualify you must:

• establish an eligible new business or purchase and improve an existing business
• make an eligible personal investment of at least CAD$200,000 in the business
• create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in the business

Entrepreneur Immigration – Strategic Projects

The Strategic Projects category of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Entrepreneur Immigration stream is for foreign corporations who have identified strategic investment opportunities in B.C. to establish operations that are integral to the growth and expansion of their core business.

This category enables foreign corporations to permanently transfer key staff with the corporate knowledge and expertise to B.C. The foreign corporation may apply for provincial nomination to support the permanent residence of up to five of its current senior employees. These employees will actively manage the B.C. operation.

To be eligible, the foreign corporation must meet the following requirements:

• be well-established and in good financial standing
• demonstrate investment readiness and capacity for international expansion into B.C.
• provide significant economic benefit to the province by making a high value investment in B.C.

To be eligible as key staff, the individual(s) must meet the following requirements:

• be current senior employees of the foreign corporation who have the qualifications and experience that are essential to establish and operate the business in B.C.
• is being appointed to an executive or senior managerial position, or has specialized knowledge essential to the proposed B.C. operation
• will be employed in a permanent full-time capacity at the B.C. operation
• is offered a wage commensurate with his/her expertise and consistent with industry and corporate compensation structures

What are the requirements?

The foreign corporation must:

• make a minimum equity investment of at least $500,000 directed toward the corporation’s operations in B.C.
• establish new or purchase and expand an eligible business in B.C.
• create at least three new full-time equivalent jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents for each foreign key staff member proposed (to a maximum of five key staff)