Nominating individuals interested in immigration &
settling in their respective locations
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals interested in immigration and settling in their respective locations. In British Columbia, the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) enables the province to nominate individuals that will support governmental priorities, meet BC’s labour market needs, and help grow the economy.
If you are nominated by BCPNP, you can then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence in Canada.
How can you qualify for BCPNP?
There are three different categories you can apply under:
- Skills Immigration
- Express Entry BC
- Entrepreneur Immigration
Take our free assessment to see what category you qualify for.
Skills Immigration
There are the following five subcategories under the BCPNP Skills Immigration division:
- Skilled Worker: This is for people who received an eligible job offer in a skilled occupation (Skill Level 0, A or B according to the National Occupational Classification [NOC] System). It’s the expectation that the workers have experience in their skilled occupation.
- Entry Level and Semi-Skilled: This stream is for workers who are in low skill occupations (Skill Level C and D) in industries such as food processing or long-haul trucking or those living and working in the Northeast Development Region of BC.
- Healthcare Professional: This is for individuals with experience and eligible job offers as physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses or allied health professionals. Contact us to see if your occupation is on the list.
- International Graduate: This is for individuals who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college within the last three years. You must have received a job offer from a BC employer to be eligible under this sub-category.
- International Post-Graduate: This category is for graduates with a Masters or Doctoral degree in either natural, applied, or health sciences from an eligible educational institution in BC. You do not need a job offer under this category.
To qualify for a BCPNP nomination, you must first calculate your Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) score. SIRS is a point-based system which helps BCPNP to prioritize candidates who have demonstrated the necessary skills to support the province’s economic growth.
Your SIRS score is based on a variety of things, including your offer of employment, language ability, wage against BC’s labour market needs, education, and location in BC. There is a total of 200 available points under SIRS – 120 is for economic factors whereas 80 is for human capital (Link?)
Once you have created a profile, you will be entered into the pool for selection to apply. Draws are held regularly, depending on the needs of the province. The highest-ranking candidates are then invited to apply for a BCPNP nomination.
Express Entry BC – Skills Immigration
Express Entry BC aligns with the Federal Express Entry system, allowing eligible applicants to receive priority processing.
Before applying to BCPNP Express Entry BC, you must have a valid profile with the Federal Express Entry system. For information on the Federal Express Entry program click HERE.
Along with your valid profile with the Federal Express Entry system, you must also register with SIRS. Once you score above a certain threshold, you will be invited to apply for a BCPNP nomination.
Federal Express Entry candidates who receive a nomination from BCPNP are awarded an additional 600 points. This is a significant advantage as it practically guarantees you an invitation to apply for permanent residence in the next Federal Express Entry draw.
To apply under Express Entry BC you must fit into one of the following subcategories:
- EEBC – Skilled Worker
- EEBC – International Graduate
- EEBC – Healthcare Professional
Entrepreneur Immigration
There are three subcategories you may apply under:
- Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category | This is for international entrepreneurs who intend to invest their funds into a proposed business within BC.
- Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot | This is a new initiative for international entrepreneurs looking to start a new business in a small community in BC
- Strategic Projects Category | This is for international corporations who wish to set up an operation in BC to grow and expand their core business.
For more information on entrepreneur immigration, please click HERE for a free assessment.
