British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province, is a center for cultural diversity and economic progress.

British Columbia is one of Canada’s most diversified provinces, with Vancouver as its third-largest metropolis. British Columbia’s economy is based on a large natural resources industry, particularly forestry and mining. Its natural environment, with sprawling woods and a distinct coastal climate, is often regarded as one of the most beautiful in Canada if not the whole globe. 

British Columbia Immigration Streams 

If you want to immigrate to British Columbia, you have three options: 

1. The Skills Immigration Stream, 
2. Express Entry British Columbia Stream, and 
3. Entrepreneur Immigration.

The Skills Immigration Stream is intended for skilled workers, healthcare professionals, overseas graduates, postgraduates, and entry-level and semi-skilled employees. Except for overseas postgraduates, all candidates must have a job offer or be employed. 

The Express Entry British Columbia Stream is exclusively open to skilled workers, healthcare professionals, overseas graduates, and postgraduates. 

The Skills Immigration Stream 

BC PNP Skills Immigration falls under the following categories: 

Skilled Worker Category 

This category includes people with an eligible employment offer in a skilled occupation. Employees are required to have several years of experience in their professional occupation. 

Healthcare Professional Category 

Individuals with experience and eligible employment offers, such as physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses, or allied health professionals, are eligible to apply. A qualified employment offer must be obtained in one of 11 approved health vocations.  

International Graduate Category 

This category is for anyone who graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college within the previous three years. To be qualified for this sub-category, you must have a job offer from a British Columbia employer. 

International Post-Graduate Category

This category is for graduates who have Master’s or Doctoral degrees in natural, applied, or health sciences from an accredited educational institution in British Columbia. No employment offer is necessary to apply for this sub-category. 

Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category 

Workers in specific entry-level or semi-skilled occupations in tourism/hospitality, food processing, or long-haul trucking, as well as individuals who live and work in British Columbia’s Northeast Development Region, may be eligible for immigration under this program.

Application fee for Skills Immigration Stream 

$1,150 for processing. A request for review would incur an extra CAD $500.

Processing time for Skills Immigration Stream 

2-3 months 

Minimum Requirements for Skills Immigration Stream 

• Must have accepted a full-time job offer for a TEER 4 or 5 position (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must have a pay offer in conformity with the province wage rates (except the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must demonstrate your ability to support yourself and your family (except for the International Post-Graduate Category);
• For the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category, the minimum language requirement is TEER 2, 3, 4, or 5 ((CLB) level 4 in all competencies).
• Must fulfill any extra standards unique to your category;
• Employers must also fulfill qualifying requirements (except the International Post-Graduate Category).

How It Works: 

• You must first register with the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) so that B.C. can evaluate your employment, education, location in B.C., language ability, and pay to provincial labor market requirements. You can register by completing all portions of the BCPNP Online registration form.
• Candidates for the International Post-Graduate and Healthcare Professional Categories are not required to register with the SIRS and can apply directly through BCPNP Online.
• You will subsequently be assigned a registration score based on a variety of criteria and placed in a selection pool for the category you have selected. Those who match particular requirements and have a score over a certain level are asked to apply for a provincial nomination through a provincial draw.
• Following that, applicants will have 30 days to apply via BCPNP Online.
• If you get a provincial nomination, you can apply for permanent residency with the Canadian federal government.

Express Entry British Columbia Stream

Express Entry BC is aligned with the federal government’s Express Entry immigration selection system, allowing qualified candidates to obtain priority processing for both their BC PNP application and, if nominated, their permanent residence application.

The following Skills Immigration categories can be completed through Express Entry British Columbia:

• Skilled Worker Category
• Health Care Professional Category
• International Graduate Category
• International Post-Graduate Category

Application Fee for Express Entry British Columbia Stream

CAD $1,150 

Processing Time for Express Entry British Columbia Stream

2-3 months

Minimum Requirements for Express Entry British Columbia Stream

• Must have a valid profile in the federal Express Entry system.
• Must have a job seeker validation code from the Express Entry system.
• Must have accepted a full-time work offer (save for the International Postgraduate Category).
• Must have a pay offer in line with B.C. wage rates (except in the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must be able to support yourself and your family (except in the International Post-Graduate Category);
• Must achieve the minimal language requirements (save for the International Postgraduate Category); 
• You must fulfill additional standards related to your category.
• Employers must also be eligible (except in the International Post-Graduate Category).

How It Works: 

• Before you begin, you must have a current Express Entry profile with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
• You must next register with the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) so that B.C. can evaluate your employment, education, location in B.C., language ability, and pay to provincial labor market requirements. You can register by completing all portions of the BCPNP Online registration form. Candidates for the International Post-Graduate and Healthcare Professional Categories are not required to register with the SIRS and can apply directly through BCPNP Online.
• You will subsequently be assigned a registration score based on a variety of criteria and placed in a selection pool for the category you have selected. Those who match particular requirements and have a score over a certain level are asked to apply for a provincial nomination through a provincial draw.
• Following that, applicants will have 30 days to apply via BCPNP Online.
• If you are chosen, you will get a provincial nomination via the Express Entry system. You must accept the nomination using the Express Entry system.

Entrepreneur Immigration

If you wish to move to British Columbia as an entrepreneur, there are three options:

Entrepreneur Immigration: Base Category

This category is for senior managers or company owners who plan to invest in a planned enterprise in British Columbia.

Entrepreneur Immigration: Regional Pilot

This new pilot is for international entrepreneurs who want to start a new firm in a small community in British Columbia.

Strategic Projects Category

This category allows foreign-controlled corporations to establish operations in British Columbia. Up to five significant foreign management, professional, or technical staff members may be nominated for permanent residency in the province.

Entrepreneur Immigration Fees:

• Registration: $300
• Application: $3,500
• Request for Review:  $500

Strategic Projects Fees:

• Registration: $300
• Application: $3,500
• Key Staff: $1,000 (each key staff)

Processing times:

• Registration score notification: 6 weeks (from date of registration submission)
• Application decision notification: 4 months (from the date of application submission)

How it works: 

• If you are interested in the Entrepreneur Immigration category, you must first complete your registration and submit a brief business plan via BCPNP Online.
• You will receive a score based on the information you have supplied. Eligible individuals are placed in a qualifying pool. The top scorers are periodically invited to apply.
• Once asked to apply, you will have four months to complete your application through BCPNP Online. Following that, a BC PNP-approved accounting company must evaluate your net worth.
• If you are successful, you will be granted a two-year work permit and will be able to establish your business in British Columbia. You will have up to 20 months to execute your company strategy. You will then be eligible to get a provincial nomination from British Columbia and apply for permanent residency.
• If you are interested in the Strategic Projects Category, you must first ensure that your organization and key employees are eligible.
• You will initially be required to conduct an exploration tour to British Columbia to learn more about the local business climate. You then need to contact the BC PNP to explore your business plan.
• The next stage is to register the company’s interest in applying. At this point, you will be needed to supply company information, your projected investment in British Columbia, and the credentials of the prospective key personnel. 
• B.C. will assess your registration and, if successful, invite you to apply. You need to submit your application within 90 days. If your application is granted, you and all senior staff members must sign a corporate Performance Agreement with the province. 
• Each of you will then receive a work permit support letter, allowing you to apply for a work permit through the IRCC.
• When you arrive in Canada and execute your commitments under the Performance Agreement, you must submit a final report to BC PNP. Following that, you will obtain a provincial nomination and have 180 days to apply for permanent residency with IRCC.

Minimum Requirements:

BC PNP Tech draw

British Columbia periodically organizes Tech draws, when they ask suitable skilled professionals to apply for a provincial nomination.

The effort began as a pilot program in 2017 to alleviate the province’s labor deficit in the technology sector. In June 2021, the province declared it a permanent program.

This program is for skilled professionals with a job offer in one of BC’s 29 approved occupations. The employment offer must also be valid for at least one year and have 120 calendar days left at the time of application.