International Post-Graduate – Overview
There are two International Post-Graduate (IPG) streams under British Columbia’s PNP:
- one that is aligned with Express Entry (Express Entry BC category), which means that a candidate needs a valid Express Entry profile to be eligible to the stream, and
- one that is not aligned with Express Entry (Skills Immigration category), meaning that the candidate cannot enjoy the faster processing times of Express Entry.
Both streams have virtually the same eligibility requirements.
The IPG streams have minimum eligibility requirements, and satisfying all those requirements allows a candidate to apply.
If nominated under the Express Entry category, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.
International Post-Graduate – Eligibility
There are 2 categories of eligibility requirements to be able to apply under the International Post-Graduate (IPG) streams, summarized below. There is no requirement to have a job offer, minimum settlement funds or language level (however if you want to apply under the Express Entry category, there are minimum requirements for these criteria).
Education
You must hold a master’s or doctoral (PhD) degree received within the past three years from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution in British Columbia.
Your doctoral degree can be in any field of study at a public BC post-secondary institution.
Your master’s degree must be in one of the following programs of study in the natural, applied or health sciences:
- Agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences,
- Biological and biomedical sciences,
- Computer and information sciences and support services,
- Engineering,
- Engineering technology and engineering-related fields,
- Health professions and related programs,
- Mathematics and statistics,
- Natural resources conservation, or
- Physical sciences.
A distance education learning program either from abroad or from within Canada is not eligible.
Ability and intent to live and work in BC
You need to prove your ability and intent to live and work in British Columbia, and evidence can include:
- The length of any previous and/or current period of residence in BC,
- Your connections to BC through work, study or family,
- A description of any actions you’ve taken to permanently settle in BC, such as finding a job or place to live,
- Employment search details (prospective employers, applications, networking efforts, business development, etc.),
- Community involvement,
- Ability to financially support yourself in BC, and/or
- Your plan to obtain or maintain legal authorization to work in BC.
You need to keep residing in BC after you graduate from the IPG eligible program of study. Exceptions could be made in certain extenuating circumstances where you had to leave BC after graduating. The BCPNP expects that candidates will stay in the province after being nominated.
There are discrepancies between the minimum requirements under the federal programs and the IPG streams, so you need to satisfy to the strictest of the two. Language proficiency, settlement funds requirements are examples of such discrepancies.
If you need to understand how the Express Entry system works, you can follow our 10-step guide.
International Post-Graduate – Application Process
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the two International Post-Graduate (IPG) streams.
(i) For the Express Entry category, candidates must:
- Meet the eligibility requirements of the federal FSW, FST or CEC programs.
- Generate their Express Entry profile, and specify their interest in the province by selecting “British Columbia” or “All Provinces and Territories”.
- Qualify for the minimum IPG stream eligibility requirements.
- Apply to the IPG stream by submitting their application through BCPNP Online (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Accept the British Columbia provincial nomination (after the BCPNP processes their application) within 30 days of receiving it on their Express Entry profile.
- Obtain an additional 600 CRS points in the Express Entry profile to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
- Apply for Permanent Residence within 60 days of receiving the ITA.
You can check out our 10-step guide for Express Entry for more detailed information and advice.
(ii) For the Skills Immigration category (not aligned with Express Entry), candidates must:
- Qualify for the minimum IPG stream eligibility requirements.
- Apply to the IPG stream by submitting their application through BCPNP Online (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Apply for Permanent Residence to the federal government (IRCC) within 6 months of receiving the provincial nomination. Candidates need to apply on paper to IRCC, and include the nomination documents received from BCPNP.
International Post-Graduate – Application Fees
The fee for this stream is set at 1,150 CAD. It can only be paid by a credit or debit card.
Application fees can only be refunded if the applicant withdraws his/her application before processing starts.
International Post-Graduate – Processing Times
International Post-Graduate – Latest News & Data
International Post-Graduate – In-Demand Occupations?
In the case of the International Post-Graduate stream, there is no in-demand jobs as there is no need to have a Job Offer or work experience to be eligible. You can find out about the other provinces’ targeted jobs in our in-demand NOC codes article.
