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There are many provinces and territories in Canada that foreign nationals would love to travel to. Specifically, the province of British Columbia is a distinctive destination for foreign nationals to immigrate. The province of British Columbia has one of the lowest crime rates in Canada and thus makes it one of the safest places to work and live. British Columbia also has a variety of different cultures that creates a vibrant society that welcomes many foreign nationals from all over the world. Foreign nationals who are applying through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program have three different ways to gain permanent residency in B.C. Under this program, British Columbia chooses individuals who have a connection with British Columbia. In this article, I will address what the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program is and the three different ways to gain permanent residency in B.C.
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an economic immigration program that assists British Columbia meet its labour market needs and prioritizes economic development within British Columbia. The program facilitates British Columbia to nominate foreign nationals with skilled work experience to work in British Columbia and obtain permanent residency. These individuals will then be able to contribute to British Columbia’s economy.
If you receive a nomination from the province of British Columbia, then you as well as your spouse or common-law partner and any dependent children, may apply for permanent residency in Canada, specifically British Columbia, as a provincial nominee. It is important to note that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) make the ultimate decision on all permanent residency applications in Canada.
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) offers nominations for skilled workers and semi-skilled workers. Furthermore, in order to apply for the BC PNP, you may apply on your own or with your employer. As previously mentioned, under the BC PNP, there are three different ways that you can apply for permanent residency in British Columbia; therefore, it is best to understand all of them before applying for the one that best suits you.
There are three different pathways that you can apply for under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program. Below, I will list and describe the different streams in detail.
This pathway is meant for skilled and semi-skilled individuals in high-demand occupations in British Columbia. For this specific pathway, a points-based invitation system is used. In order to apply under this category, you must first register and apply online for the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program. Once this is done and if you are invited for permanent residency in British Columbia, you will be requested to apply for permanent residency through a paper application.
It is important to note that under this category, you may not necessarily require work experience. There are some skilled individuals that may have work experience from abroad. However, semi-skilled individuals and entry level individuals will need to have obtained work experience prior to applying. Please note that individuals who have graduated from a Canadian university may not need work experience prior to applying under BC PNP; this entirely depends on the job that is being offered to the graduate.
The fastest way to immigrate to British Columbia is through Express Entry. Express Entry is an economic immigration program that includes three different applications for skilled workers which are: Federal Skilled Worker Program; Federal Skilled Trades Program; and, Canadian Experience Class. In order to be eligible under Express Entry you must qualify using the Comprehensive Ranking System to see how many points you can get. The higher the points, the better chances of being invited under one of these programs which evidently lead to permanent residency in Canada. Luckily, this program is entirely web-based for the first step which is the registration and application as well as the second step which is the permanent residency application.
In order to qualify under this program, you do not require any work experience within British Columbia. However, you must ensure that you do have adequate work experience abroad in order to qualify. There are many eligibility requirements that you must meet as well, such as education and language ability.
This pathway is meant for high net-worth business individuals who can invest and actively manage a business within British Columbia. Under this category, you must also qualify using the Comprehensive Ranking System. In addition to having the adequate amount of points in order to be eligible, you must also provide evidence that you have the required personal and investments funds available. There is also an option for businesses looking to expand into British Columbia. These businesses, most of the time, require their employees to obtain permanent residency in Canada, and this would be a viable option for them.
It is essential that you have taken all of the aforementioned important information in consideration prior to applying for the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). Additionally, if you are unsure what requirements are needed from you, it is always best to research beforehand. Applying under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) for permanent residency in Canada is a difficult task to do on your own; therefore, it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to submit the application. Here, at Akrami & Associates, we work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients apply through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and have helped them obtain permanent residency in Canada. If you believe that you might be eligible, then please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at our office at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advice.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!
