The BC PNP is British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program. Through this program, prospective immigrants with the skills and experience targeted by the province may receive a British Columbia Provincial Nomination Certificate, which will allow that foreign national to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
The BC PNP accepts applications under two main immigration streams:
Skills Immigration (including Express Entry British Columbia)
Skilled Worker Category:
Healthcare Professional Category
International Graduate Category
International Post-Graduate Category
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category
Express Entry British Columbia
Express Entry BC aligns with the federal government’s Express Entry immigration selection system, allowing eligible applicants to receive priority processing of both their BC PNP application and if nominated, their permanent residence application.
The following Skills Immigration categories may be processed through Express Entry British Columbia:
Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS)
On January 27, 2016, the government of British Columbia announced a new Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) for the BC PNP. This points-based system gives candidates a registration score that determines whether they may be invited to apply. The score is based on a number of factors — such as level of education, years of direct work experience and a B.C. employment offer — that reflect an individual’s ability to succeed in the labour market and contribute to the provincial economy.
Entrepreneur Immigration
Individuals who intend to settle and invest in British Columbia may be eligible for Canadian permanent residence under this immigration stream. This program is broken down into two categories:
Entrepreneur Immigration Category
Entrepreneur Immigration — Regional Pilot
Strategic Projects Category