The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) offers a collection of immigration streams known as the British Columbia Skills Immigration program. This program provides an opportunity for individuals with the necessary skills, education, and/or work experience to contribute to the economic growth of British Columbia, to be nominated for Canadian permanent residence. The following immigration streams are included in the BC Skills Immigration program:
It is important to note that most of the programs within the BC Skills Immigration program require a job offer from a BC employer. This job offer does not need to be supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Upon approval of a provincial nomination through a Skills Immigration stream, the applicant will receive a work permit support letter, allowing them to apply for temporary work authorization while their immigration application is being processed.
Applications for BC Skills Immigration are managed through BC PNP Online, a web portal that manages the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). This online system handles the intake, ranking, and processing of BC PNP applications.
British Columbia Express Entry
The BC Skills Immigration streams do not have a requirement for candidates to be eligible for Express Entry. However, for those who have an active Express Entry profile, the majority of programs within BC Skills Immigration provide an expedited pathway to Canadian permanent residence. The application process through Express Entry and without Express Entry is similar until the point of receiving a nomination from the province, after which the federal application for permanent residency must be submitted. Express Entry candidates can submit their federal application online through the IRCC portal, with processing times estimated to be around 6 months. On the other hand, non-Express Entry candidates must submit a paper-based federal application to the relevant processing center, with processing times estimated to be approximately 18 months. It is important to note that the BC Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker stream does not have a corresponding Express Entry stream.
To access further information about the BC PNP programs, please click on the links provided below:
