The BCPNP (British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program) is the program used by the government of British Columbia to choose the immigration candidates to nominate to the Canadian government to become permanent residents of the province, and contribute to grow the economy.
The BCPNP is one of Canada’s PNPs. With different immigration streams, the program is very diverse, with categories for skilled workers and international graduates in Canada and post-graduates in British Columbia: Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration, and of course for entrepreneurs.
Choosing British Columbia Immigration
The British Columbia province, located at the west of Canada, is home to one the largest and enjoyable cities in Canada, Vancouver. Being the third most populated province, after Ontario and Québec, it has become one of the most sought-after immigration destinations in Canada.
Apart from some federal programs, the British Columbia province also offers some pathways to the Canadian province. These can be split between Express Entry aligned streams, and non-aligned.
Indeed, the BCPNP currently includes four streams that are Express Entry aligned. A provincial nomination is issued when the application is successful, leading to the applicant receiving 600 extra CRS points. This, in turn, will lead the applicant to automatically receive an ITA in the following Express Entry draw from the pool.
Concerning the other non-aligned Express Entry streams, there is no need to be eligible for Express Entry and being in the pool. These are the same streams as for the Express Entry aligned streams. Other streams include healthcare professionals with job offers and entrepreneur investors.
Introduced in 2017, the BCPNP Tech program provides the opportunity to Technology and IT workers to fast-track their immigration to BC and obtain permanent residence. Besides, draws for the BCPNP Tech program are conducted each week, compared to two-week draws for the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. As this program is an “add-on” to the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams (in both Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories), candidates will also need a job offer in one the eligible Technology and IT occupations.
All BCPNP categories, except Health Authority and International Post-Graduate streams, are operated through the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Candidates will need to create an account with their individual data in regards to their level of studies, language proficiency, previous job experience, and their employment offer in British Columbia. The system will then attribute each candidate a score (max 200 points), and those with a score above the cut-off (published periodically by the immigration office of BC) will receive an invitation to apply for a BC nomination.
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) – Overview
| Stream | Main Criteria (not exhaustive) | Job Offer Required | Aligned with Express Entry | Application Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category: Skills Immigration (SI) | ||||
| Skilled Worker | Full-time, indeterminate job offer from a BC employer, in an NOC TEER Category 0, 1, 2 or 3, in line with B.C. wage rates and at least 2 years of related work experience | Yes | Yes & No | $1,150 |
| International Graduate | Full-time, indeterminate job offer from a BC employer, in an NOC TEER Category 1, 2 or 3, in line with B.C. wage rates and graduation from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada in the past three years | Yes | Yes & No | $1,150 |
| International Post-Graduate | Graduation from a BC Master’s/Ph.D. in the health, applied, or natural science disciplines | No | Yes & No | $1,150 |
| Health Authority | Employment offer from a BC public health authority | Yes | Yes & No | $1,150 |
| Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | Full-time, indeterminate job offer from a BC employer in an eligible NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupation and at least 9 months of related work experience | Yes | No | $1,150 |
| Category: Entrepreneur Immigration | ||||
| Entrepreneur Immigration Base | Business or management experience Min net worth of $600,000 and min investment of $200,000 Own min 33,3% of business and creation of min 1 new job | No | No | $300 Registration + $3,500 Processing + $1,000 per key staff |
| Entrepreneur Immigration Regional | Business or management experience, and min NCLC4 in English or French Min net worth of $300,000 and min investment of $100,000 Own min 51% of business, in an area with population of 75,000 or less Creation of min 1 new job | No | No | $300 Registration + $3,500 Processing |
