BC PNP - British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program

British Columbia, a province on Canada’s west coast, is one of the most popular places for Canadians to immigrate because of its expanding economy and labour market.

The BC PNP, or British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program, offers skilled entrepreneurs and in-demand foreign nationals a means to enter Canada and become permanent residents of the province. With the objective of settling permanently in the province, the program seeks to expedite the process for individuals who are interested in obtaining Canada PR status.

The program is run by the provincial government of British Columbia in conjunction with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal agency in charge of immigration. There are two stages in the application procedure for those who are interested in the BC PNP. The provincial government must receive a nomination application from them first. Secondly, if they are successful in getting the nomination from the province, they must apply for Permanent Resident status with the federal government.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has three main immigration routes, making it one of the most varied provincial nominee programs in Canada. Two of them, Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC, are primarily for graduates and workers. For entrepreneurs, there is a third stream. These immigrant streams are divided up even further into different subgroups.

A couple of the BC PNP’s immigration streams are compatible with the Canada Express Entry federal immigration selection process. Successful applicants receive 600 more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points and an ITA (invitation to apply for a PR visa) in the following pool draw.

Furthermore, the SIRS – Skills Immigration Registration System is used to administer portions of the BC PNP’s streams. Potential candidates must first construct a SIRS profile under this SIRS system. Additionally, they must provide specific people with information on their level of education, language proficiency, professional background, and employment offer in British Columbia.

The SIRS gives registered candidates a score out of 200 based on an EOI (Expression of Interest) and ITA (Invitation to Apply). The candidates who meet the cut-off criteria for their stream in the subsequent drawings held by the Government of British Columbia are subsequently presented with an ITA for a Nomination from the province.

While certain BC PNP streams require applicants to have a work offer from a company based in the province, some streams operated outside of the SIRS do not.

In 2017, BC PNP has created the Tech Pilot Program via which IT and Tech workers can migrate to BC and receive the Canada PR status.

What various BC PNP Immigration Pathways are there?

There are three options for immigrants to become Permanent Residents in British Columbia under the Provincial Nominee Program. According to your status as an international student, your occupation, or your level of skill under the National Occupational Classification, you can select a subcategory from each stream. Periodically, the BC PNP draw is held to issue invitations to apply to candidates for nomination through one of the BC PNP’s qualifying streams.

Skilled Immigration in BC

In British Columbia, skilled and semi-skilled workers can apply through Skills Immigration, which uses an invitation system based on points. The procedure entails paper-based applications for PR as well as online registration and applications for the BC PNP.

Some SI subcategories may not require previous employment experience. While Semi-skilled and Entry-level stream applicants need to have job experience in BC, skilled individuals are allowed to have work experience elsewhere. Depending on the employment offer, recent graduates from a Canadian university or college may not need any prior work experience.

BC Skills Immigration seeks foreign nationals with the abilities to contribute positively to the province’s workforce. Its sub-streams place a strong emphasis on immigrants with job prospects in British Columbia and those who have the necessary experience to find and keep employment while living in the province. The SI subcategories are as follows:

✅ British Columbia Healthcare Professional

✅ British Columbia International Post-Graduate

✅ British Columbia Skilled Worker

✅ British Columbia International Graduate

✅ British Columbia Semi-Skilled and Entry Level Workers

For the sub-streams under BC Skills Immigration, Express Entry eligibility is not needed of applicants. However, the majority of the schools in this stream provide qualifying applicants with an active Express Entry profile and a faster PR track.

BC Express Entry

A quicker way for qualified skilled employees to immigrate to the province is through BC Express Entry. Additionally, you must be eligible for a government program for economic immigration. A points-based invitation system is used by BC Express Entry. Both the PNP BC and PR registration and application processes are entirely digital.

You must satisfy the following conditions of the Express Entry BC PNP to be eligible for this stream:

✅ Have an IRCC Express Entry Job Seeker Validation Code and an Express Entry Profile Number. It demonstrates that you meet the requirements for any one of the three IRCC Express Entry programs.

✅ Have accepted a local employer’s offer of a long-term, permanent position. The position must fall within one of the three skill levels of the National Occupational Classification: B, A, or 0.

✅ Have the necessary skills for the position being offered to you in the province.

✅ Have at least two years of experience in a job that is closely related to the one being offered.

✅ Show that you are capable of taking care of both yourself and your dependents.

✅ Be eligible for immigration or have a valid visa to enter the nation.

✅ Meet the bare basic linguistic criteria

✅ Have a job offer that corresponds to the stated employment rates in BC for the designated field of work.

BC Entrepreneur Immigration

For experienced entrepreneurs who want to actively manage a firm in the province, BC Entrepreneur Immigration is the appropriate option. The applicants must have the necessary personal and investment funds, and the invitation process is based on points.

The Regional Pilot Entrepreneur Immigration stream is for business owners who want to launch a new venture in one of the province’s participating regional communities.

The Entrepreneur Immigration stream of British Columbia is intended for foreign nationals and companies with a track record of achievement in business ownership, management, and investment. By starting new businesses in British Columbia, entrepreneurs with significant personal net worth and foreign companies with substantial yearly revenue can immigrate to the province.

The sub-streams under BC Entrepreneur Immigration are:

British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot.
British Columbia Entrepreneur.
British Columbia Strategic Projects.

What exactly does the BC PNP Tech Pilot Program do?

British Columbia’s Tech Pilot program is geared for foreign nationals working in any of the province’s high-demand technology professions. It is in line with the province’s Skills Immigration stream. Thus, interested candidates must evaluate the various sub-categories under the SI pathway. Through applications, Tech Pilot enables qualified foreign nationals to gain access to expedited processing and additional resources.

How long does it take to process a BC PNP?

For nomination requests submitted through Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration, the processing time is anticipated to take between two and three months.

The projected processing time for applications submitted through Entrepreneur Immigration is six weeks from the date of registration for the stage of Registration Score Notification. From the date of application submission to the decision announcement, an additional 4 weeks must be allowed for processing (at the stage of Work Permit).

Currently, non-Express Entry nomination applications from the provinces are processed by IRCC at the federal level within 15 to 19 months. The six-month standard is applicable to Express Entry streams.

How are BC PNP points calculated?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Canada allots a certain number of immigrants to each of the country’s 10 provinces. Each province is required to adhere to the set cap on the number of immigrants it may admit. The Skilled Immigration Registration System (SIRS), a methodical method of selecting the most qualified and worthy immigrants, has been established by the province of British Columbia.

The SIRS point system awards points based on an individual’s personal qualifications, commonly known as Core Human Factors. These include age, educational background, level of English proficiency, and age. Economic Factors are other elements that affect pay. The BC PNP’s unifying condition for accepting applications for provincial nomination is proficiency in these listed qualifications.

The province will issue you a Nomination if you can meet all the standards outlined by British Columbia Immigration. You are now eligible to receive 600 more CRS points. Finally, the higher score will improve your chances of being chosen in the federal Express Entry draw. As soon as the BC PNP’s allocation period opens, you can also submit a direct application.

Pathway for Labour Impact: Critical Worker Category

	Scoring Sections	Maximum Points
Economic Factors (120)	Employments Regional District	10
	A wage of the Job Offer in BC	50
	BC Job Offers Skill Level	60
Human Capital Factors (80)	Language	30
	Highest Education Level	25
	Work Experience Directly Related	25
	Total Available Points	200