British Columbia PNP | British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program

Just like any other Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the British Columbia PNP is a program implemented in order to help British Columbia meet its labour market needs. This program is designed to help employers attract and retain skilled foreign workers who can help with the economy. Another thing that is done by this program is that it allows the province to select entrepreneurs to start up their own businesses and provide jobs for Canadians. When B.C. finds a suitable individual(s) the PNP allows it to give a British Columbia Provincial Nomination Certificate. With this certificate the individual can apply for permanent residence in Canada. The advantage of this is that processing times are much faster.

Two Main Categories:

Skills Immigration:

Skills Immigration consists of the BC PNP putting the eligible candidate into the Express Entry stream.

The skills immigration program is made up of six different categories and each one has their own specific set of requirements.

Skilled Workers Category Requirements:

post-secondary education
employment experience
occupation category classified as NOC level 0, A, or B
if regulated occupation, individual must meet requirements before hand
show ability to pay for living expenses when arriving in B.C.
Employer Requirements:

business must be established in B.C.
must have permanent, full-time employees
must meet domestic labour market requirements
written offer of employment

signed and dated by both the employer and the applicant
must include: description of job duties, rate of pay, the working hours, a statement that the position is permanent, full-time with a minimum 30 hours per week, list of benefits, any other applicable agreements.

Health Care Professionals Category:

must be one of the following:

Physician

must be sponsored by one of BC’s five regional health authorities, or the Provincial Health Services Authority
have a letter from College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia stating that a supervising physician has given the applicant a positive assessment

Specialist
Registered Nurse

job offer for a permanent, full-time position from one of five regional health authorities or Provincial Health Services Authority
must register with College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia

Registered Psychiatric Nurse

job offer for a permanent, full-time position from one of five regional health authorities or Provincial Health Services Authority
must register with the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia

Nurse Practitioner
Midwife

register with College of Midwifes, BC
must have letter from an established place of practice with a job offer for at least 6 months

Allied health professional such as: diagnostic medical sonographer, clinical pharmacist, medical laboratory technologist, medical radiation technologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist.

Requirements vary among the different occupations

International Graduates of Canadian Schools/Universities:

required to have a job offer

occupation category classified as NOC 0, A, B
job offer must be in writing
signed and dated by both employer and applicant
must include: description of job duties, rate of pay, the working hours, a statement that the position is permanent, full-time with a minimum 30 hours per week, list of benefits, any other applicable agreements.

eligible if the following requirements are obtained:

undergraduate degree from Canadian post-secondary school
minimum of 12 months study
diplomas from private institutions are not eligible
diploma is not acceptable if more that an quarter is spent on co-op or interning
application must be submitted within 2 years of completion of the program
must provide proof that the applicant can support him/herself when arriving to Canada

International Post Graduates Requirements:

masters or doctoral degree from an eligible BC institution in one of the following fields:

agriculture
biological and biomedical sciences
computer and information sciences and support services
engineering
engineering technology
health professionals and related clinical services
mathematics and statistics
nature resources conservation and research
physical sciences

must provide evidence of their intent to stay permanently

Entry-Level or Semi-Skilled Worker Category Requirements:

currently in BC
specified business; tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking, food processing industries; or NOC skill level C or D occupation in the Northeast Development Region of the province
currently employed in full-time position for a consecutive 9 months or more
must maintain full-time employment through the application process
written letter of employment:

job offer must be in writing
signed and dated by both employer and applicant
must include: description of job duties, rate of pay, the working hours, a statement that the position is permanent, full-time with a minimum 30 hours per week, list of benefits, any other applicable agreements

applicant must have at least 12 years of completed schooling and any certification may be presented
language proficiency test of at least “4” in all components

Northeast Pilot Project Category Requirements:

same as Entry-Level or Semi-Skilled Worker Category
but applicant does not need to have a job offer

Business immigration:

applies to individuals who intend to settle and invest in BC. The main purpose is to improve Canada’s economy and provide jobs for Canadians.

The Business Immigration Program is made up of three categories:

The Entrepreneur Category Requirements:

business experience as business owner or senior manager
present a viable business proposal that can significantly benefit the economy of BC
financial ability to invest: net worth of $800,000
if approved:

minimum of $400,000 investment to establish business
own at least 1/3 of the business
sign a performance agreement with the province
create a minimum of 3 full-time jobs
actively involved in daily management of business

allows staff to be brought if they are essential to the business

Regional Entrepreneur Category Requirements:

business experience as business owner or senior manager
present a viable business proposal that can significantly benefit the economy of BC
located outside of Vancouver and Abbotsford metropolitan areas
financial ability to invest: net worth of $400,000
if approved:

minimum of $200,000 investment to establish business
own at least 1/3 of the business
sign a performance agreement with the province
create a minimum of 1 full-time jobs
actively involved in daily management of business

Regional Business Succession Option Category Requirements:

change in ownership must take place
purchased business must meet requirement:

located outside of Vancouver and Abbotsford metropolitan areas
have been operated by current owner for at least 5 years
has at least one full-time employee other than family members of owner
actively in operation

Employers & BC PNP:

Employers & BC PNP is a great program for employers who have a great deal of trouble finding workers within Canada. The BC PNP allows employers to search for foreign workers. The new express entry program for skills immigration will help BC improve their economy with new skilled foreign workers. The program could be beneficial to someone who already has a temporary foreign worker on their staff and would like to keep this individual on. However, this would only apply to permanent positions.

Eligibility of Employers:

must be established in BC
operating for at least one year
must have permanent full-time employees
must have a history of good workplace and business practices
must meet domestic labour market requirements

employee valid work permit and currently working for you
evidence that you have made an effort to find employees from within Canada (such as job postings, advertisements, etc…)

must be able to offer a full-time job of intermediate length
must offer a market rate wage or higher
in some cases like the entry-level/semi-skilled worker, must be employed by that employer for consecutive 9 months before applying to the PNP

Some public sectors and non-profit employers are eligible:

Provincial and regional health care authorities and agencies.
Public post-secondary education and training institutions.
Private non-profit post-secondary institutions that are accredited by, or registered with, the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC.
Institutions supported by the Government of Canada or the Province of B.C. conducting research in natural and applied sciences, engineering, computer and information systems, or health sciences.
Provincial/federal/municipal government organizations and agencies.
Other non-profit groups registered as charitable organizations and incorporated under the Society Act (RSBC 1996) or the Canada Corporations Act, Part II, 1970, and in good standing.

All in all, this program is designed to help employers attract and retain skilled foreign workers who can help with the economy. Another thing that is done by this program is that it allows the province to select entrepreneurs to start up their own businesses and provide jobs for Canadians. An individual must figure out under which category they should apply and what the requirements are for it. When B.C. finds a suitable individual(s) the PNP allows it to give a British Columbia Provincial Nomination Certificate. With this certificate the individual can apply for permanent residence in Canada. The advantage of this is that processing times are much faster.