The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an economic immigration program that allows the Province of British Columbia to select skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs who will contribute to B.C.’s economy and help fill job vacancies or create businesses.
If you are nominated, you and your family can apply for permanent residency in Canada through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
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Two Main Streams: Skills Immigration and Entrepreneur Immigration
BC PNP Skills Immigration Stream
Skills Immigration: Ideal for workers and recent graduates who have the skills, experience, and qualifications sought by B.C. employers. Skills Immigration includes five streams, four of which offer an Express Entry BC option for faster processing.
- Eligibility: Criteria vary by stream, including job offer requirements, language proficiency, and relevant experience.
- Process and Priorities: Designed to support regional economic needs, including the healthcare, childcare, veterinary, construction, and technology sectors.
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Stream
BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) is a way for international entrepreneurs wishing to immigrate to British Columbia (B.C.) to set up businesses that support innovation and economic growth in the province.
Entrepreneur Immigration is a temporary to permanent immigration pathway. That means that if you are approved, you will initially come to B.C. as a temporary resident, and then apply to stay permanently once you have successfully started a business.
Streams for entrepreneurs
- Base stream
- Regional stream
- Strategic Projects
The official website page provides a detailed explanation of each program, including eligibility, requirements, process, fees, etc.
https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/entrepreneur-immigration
Strategic initiatives
The BC PNP supports the Province’s broader strategic goals. To support those goals while also maintaining program integrity and supporting nominees for success, the program may use various tools to select and prioritize applicants. For example, the BC PNP may issue targeted invitations to apply for select occupations.
Supporting regional communities
Communities in regions outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District face unique economic development challenges. B.C. wants to make sure that all regions of the province benefit from economic growth.
The Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot helps participating regional communities. It creates a role for them to attract entrepreneurs who will establish businesses to support their local economic development priorities.
Skills Immigration helps regional employers retain workers who have experience working or studying in smaller communities outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District.
Please go to the Entrepreneur Immigration or the Skills Immigration page to find the stream that best fits your situation.
Supporting the healthcare, childcare, and veterinary care sectors
B.C. has a critical need in key sectors of the care economy, specifically healthcare, childcare and veterinary care.
Find out which occupations are prioritized to support B.C.’s care economy.
B.C. has also made it easier for public health authorities to recruit and retain needed staff to deliver healthcare to British Columbians.
Workers who are direct employees of a provincial health authority do not need to register and can apply directly to the Health Authority stream. Physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives may also qualify. For eligibility criteria, please see the Health Authority stream.
Supporting the construction sector
Housing is a top priority for B.C. To support the skilled construction workforce that is needed to meet B.C.’s residential housing demand, certified workers in select construction occupations are prioritized.
Find out which occupations are prioritized to support B.C.’s construction sector.
Supporting the technology sector
The BC PNP provides B.C.’s technology sector the continued ability to recruit and retain international talent in tech occupations when local skilled workers are unavailable.
BC PNP Tech has supported more than 6,000 tech workers to be nominated for permanent residence since its launch in May 2017.
Find out which occupations are prioritized to support B.C.’s technology sector.
Processing times
Processing times show how long it may take to make a decision on a BC PNP application, post-nomination request or request for review. If your nomination or request is time sensitive, you should make your submission well in advance of the times listed below.
Processing times are based on the date we receive your complete application. About 80 per cent of cases will be processed within these time frames. Some cases are more complex and can take more time. These time frames are subject to change without notice, according to volume of cases and the program’s processing capacity.
Fees will only be refunded if you withdraw your application before the BC PNP begins to assess it. Request for review fees are non-refundable. Please see the fees section for more information.
Case Studies
Case study 1
BCPNP-Health Authority Stream (Regular)
Santiago, a Colombian citizen, came to Canada in 2023 under the Canada-Colombia FTA and began working as a kitchen helper for a public health authority in B.C. While enjoying his time in Canada, he developed a strong social network and started considering ways to settle in the province he now calls home. One of his colleagues mentioned the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), which piqued his interest. However, Santiago is unsure about this pathway since his hourly pay isn’t particularly high, he works in a TEER 4 occupation that doesn’t qualify under Express Entry, and his score is around 87, with a language proficiency of CLB 5.
After our phone discussion, we promptly scheduled an initial consultation to explore Santiago’s options. Since he is employed with Interior Health, one of B.C.’s public health authorities, he is eligible to apply directly through the BCPNP Health Authority Stream, which doesn’t require a points-based system. Santiago only needs to meet the basic requirements for skilled workers under BCPNP and provide supporting documents from his current employer.
To assist Santiago, we’ve created a detailed document checklist and guided him through necessary steps, including obtaining his educational credential assessment, taking a language proficiency test, and setting up a meeting with his employer. Santiago feels confident about the process, and once all required documents are ready, he plans to register under the BCPNP non-EE stream, aiming for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) by the end of 2024.
Case study 2
EEBCPNP-Skilled Worker Stream
Ming Xiong, a Chinese citizen, completed her Master’s degree in China and began her first role as a biologist in a Vancouver-based company in July 2023. Her employer highly values her dedication and is eager to support her stay in Canada. Together, they’re exploring the best options to help her obtain permanent residency.
After our initial consultation, we outlined two clear pathways for Ming:
- Express Entry – Canadian Experience Class: Ming qualifies for this stream, having accumulated a year of TEER 2 work experience in Canada. With an IELTS score of 9, a high level of education, and her age providing an almost maximum CRS score, her profile is strong.
- EEBC PNP – Skilled Worker Stream: Ming also qualifies here and may consider negotiating with her employer to pursue a priority occupation, such as a healthcare-related role if possible. Alternatively, she could continue her employment for another year, as she is only four points below the latest BCPNP draw threshold. She could also boost her profile by learning French or exploring relocation to another branch to earn additional regional points.
Both Ming and her employer now have a clear understanding of the steps required and are confidently preparing the necessary documentation.
Testimonials
What you need to know about BC Provincial Nominee Program
What is the difference between a BC PNP 'registration' and an 'application’?
- A registration is a preliminary step in which you provide the BC PNP with information that the program uses to determine which candidates should be invited to apply.
- The information you provide in a Skills Immigration registration is used in a points-based system to help the BC PNP manage applications. This system ranks applications, selects candidates and issues invitations to apply.
- If you receive an invitation, you must submit your BC PNP application within 30 calendar days. - A registration can be submitted without paying a fee. When an application is submitted, the application fee must be paid, and all required documents must be submitted.
What are the points based on?
Registration scores are based on human capital and economic factors
- Human capital factors include directly related work experience, education and language proficiency in English or French.
- Economic factors include the wage of the B.C. job offer and its location in B.C
I have a bachelor’s degree from a B.C. post-secondary institution. Will I have to compete against people with B.C. master’s degrees?
- No, there will be separate streams for each degree level.
- Bachelor's stream candidates will be considered alongside other bachelor's candidates, and master's stream candidates will be considered alongside other master's candidates.
What if I completed my program of study in B.C., but I don’t have my degree yet?
- For both the International Graduate and the International Post-Graduate streams, students must have completed their program of study at the time of application to the BC PNP.
- You must submit one of the following with your application:
- A copy of your degree.
- A letter from your B.C. university confirming the completion of all required courses.
- A copy of your official transcript showing the date that you completed all requirements of the degree program.
I have just graduated from a post-secondary institution in B.C. How will I know what policies will apply to me?
- Current program policies for the BC PNP’s Skills Immigration streams are found in the ‘BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide.’ This guide is published on the: Guides, forms, reports and documents page.
- Applicants must meet all program criteria that are in place when their registration (if applicable) and application is submitted to the BC PNP.
What if the policy changes after I apply but before I receive a decision on my application?
- Once you have submitted your application, you will not be affected by any policy changes that are introduced after that date. The BC PNP will assess your application according to the policies that were in place on the date that you applied.
- The only applications that will be affected by policy changes are applications that are submitted after the new policies are published in the BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide.
Will the job offer for the Bachelor’s and Master’s streams be limited to a certain 'list' of positions?
- The new streams for recent graduates will not be limited to a list of eligible occupations.
- Job offers for the Bachelor’s and Master’s stream will be required to be in NOC TEER 1, 2, or 3. NOC TEER 0 occupations will not be eligible for either the Bachelor’s or the Master’s streams.
- The Bachelor’s stream will require an indeterminate, full-time job offer unless the job offer is in a priority technology occupation; job offers in a priority technology occupation need to be full-time and at least one year in duration.
- The Master’s stream will require a full-time job offer of at least one year in duration.
- All job offers will need to meet program criteria as explained in the BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide.