The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an immigration program that selects highly skilled immigrants to fill critical labour shortages and increase the economic benefits of immigration to the province. 

PNP works in 2 stages:

• The BC PNP selects and nominates potential immigrants for permanent residence that have the ability to become economically established and who will provide significant economic benefits to the province.
• Individuals nominated by the Province of BC, are eligible to apply for a Permanent resident visa from CIC in the Provincial Nominee Class.

CIC gives priority to processing permanent resident visa applications for Provincial Nominees. CIC makes the final decision on these applications.

The BC PNP program is made up of several categories divided into two main streams:

Strategic Occupations : Skilled individuals who have a guaranteed job offer and are qualified to work in selected occupations with a constant shortage of qualified workers in BC come under this category.

The requirements for applying to the Strategic Occupations part of the BC PNP are as follows:

• Employer has offered and Nominee employee has accepted a Permanent, full-time employment in a skilled occupation
• The wage offered is competitive with BC wage rates for the occupation
• The applicant is qualified to do the job
• The nominee candidate’s field of employment offers good long-term prospects
• Employer must be financially sound, history of good practices, and must have been operating in BC for at least one year and have at least five paid employees
• Employment of a foreign worker will be of significant economic benefit to BC
• Employment of a foreign worker will not adversely affect the settlement of a labor dispute, or the employment of anyone involved in any such dispute
• Nominee candidate has the ability to become economically established in BC

Skilled Worker:
This program allows BC to select highly skilled immigrants to fill critical labour shortages in the Province.

Skilled workers are qualified foreign workers who will be employed in skilled occupations that usually fall into Skill Levels O, A or B of the National Occupational Classification Matrix, (NOC).

NOC Skill Level O - Managers
NOC Skill Level A – Professionals
NOC Skill Level B – Technicians & Technologists

NOC Skill Level O - Managers
Chief executive officer, chief financial officer, vice-president, controller, general manager, executive director, services manager, marketing manager, production manager, research director, software development manager etc.

NOC Skill Level A – Professionals
Accountants, Audiologists and Speech Pathologists, Biologists, Biochemists and Microbiologists, Computer Software and Interactive Media Developers, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Engineers (All Fields), Financial and Investment Analysts, Geologists and Geochemists, Information Systems and Database Analysts, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, Pharmacists, Registered Nurses, University Professors and College Instructors etc

NOC Skill Level B – Technicians & Technologists
Aircraft Instrument and Avionics Mechanics, Architectural Technicians and Technologists, Computer and Information Systems Technicians, Engineering and Industrial Technicians/Technologists, Mining Technologists, Graphic Arts Technicians
Health, Medical and Veterinary Technicians/Technologists, Land Survey and Mapping Technicians/Technologists, Licensed Practical Nurses, Midwives &Technical Sales Specialists etc.

Registered Nurses:
Health Professionals are limited to registered nurses, psychiatric nurses and physicians recruited by provincial and regional health authorities through Health Match BC.

Registered Nurses: There is a critical shortage of Registered Nurses in British Columbia. Employers can accept applications for Registered Nurse vacancies if:

• Position being offered is permanent & full-time
• Meets all provincial employment and wage standards.
• Individuals must have a Letter from Registered Nurses Association of BC (RNABC) stating that they are eligible for an interim permit.

Employment Requirements:
Registered Nursing is a licensed profession in B.C. Nurse Nominee candidates must be registered, or eligible for registration, with the College of Registered Nurses of BC (CRNBC) or the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of BC (CRPNBC).

International Students:
The International student category is intended to assist employers in recruiting academically strong graduates who are expected to meet the future skill needs of their organizations.

International Students can study in a broad range of fields of study. The BC PNP will consider applications from academically strong students where it can be demonstrated that the student's employment in BC will fill future skill needs. In this case, permanent full-time job offers to students that are related to their fields of study are required from BC employers before approval by the PNP.

International Student Requirements
Student Nominee candidates must have satisfied the necessities for an eligible degree or diploma conferred by a recognized post-secondary institution in BC before accepting an Offer of employment.

• Institution must be a BC public post-secondary institution, or a BC private institution offering a degree program
• International Graduates must have completed at least part of their study program in BC – a minimum of two years for a bachelor’s degree, and one year for a graduate degree.
• Nominee International Graduates who have earned an eligible bachelor’s degree or a diploma in BC will be expected to have an overall mark of at least 70 percent in their program.
• Nominee Applications must be submitted within one year of the date shown on the nominee candidate’s final official transcript.
• The BC PNP will only consider applications for International Graduates who will be hired for eligible occupations in the Skilled Workers category.

Some of the degrees / diplomas which are acceptable by BC PNP are:

• Natural / Applied sciences or technologies/ engineering
• Health sciences or technologies
• Computer science or technology, information systems or digital media
• Business or commerce
• Tourism, Recreation & Hospitality
• Transportation & Logistics

The BC PNP may accept diplomas / degrees in other fields of study at its discretion.

Assessment of Applications:
The key features considered in assessing applications in the Strategic Occupations part of the BC PNP are:

• Occupation in which the nominee candidate will be employed
• Current demand and outlook for the occupation
• Wage for the position
• Nominee candidate’s qualifications
• Offer of employment
• Employer’s history and operations
• Economic benefits to BC of employing the nominee candidate
• Nominee candidate’s ability to become economically established in BC

BUSINESS CATEGORY

Business Categories:
The Business category comprises of Business Skills, Projects, & Regional Business types of Business professionals.

Nomination of these business professionals provides for increasing profitable benefits of immigration to the province through trade & industry and escalating economic benefits to the province in the course of developing enterprises.

Business Skills:
This type is for persons who have proven abilities and financial resources to establish a business in tune with specific Business projects in British Columbia.

This category is planned to attract prospective applicants who have widespread resources and business experience, and who want to be actively involved in putting into operation a BC business undertaking that will make a considerable contribution to the economy of the province.

Qualifying Criteria for Business

• Successful business experience
• Minimum net worth CDN $ 800,000
• Minimum investment CDN $ 400,000
• Applicant to hold minimum 1/3 Equity
• Business Plan
• Business to create a Min of 3 jobs
• Applicant plays an active role in management

Projects:
This type of business category is for individuals such as key managers, employees or business owners who are essential to the success of identified economic projects.

The projects category is intended to assist companies with the timely entry of skilled, key managers and technical professionals essential to the success of a business expected to generate significant economic benefits to BC.

Qualifying Criteria:

• Company has a record of successful experience in an area relevant to the proposed business
• Minimum Can $ 500,000 in New Investments or Business Expansions only
• Creation a minimum of 3 new jobs
• Establish or purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC
• Key staff is essential to the success of the proposed project

Regional Business:
This category is for individuals who have proven abilities and financial resources to establish a business with specific business projects outside of Greater Vancouver area in British Columbia.

This category is planned to assist people from outside Canada, with proven skills and financial resources, to rapidly implement plans for business establishment or expansion contributing to the regional development of British Columbia.

Qualifying Criteria:

• Project must be located outside the Greater Vancouver Area
• Minimum net worth: CAD$ 400,000
• Minimum investment: CAD$ 200,000 excluding real estate component
• Applicant must have a minimum 33 1/3 % equity
• Business must create a minimum of 1 new job
• Applicant to have an active management role.

The Province will issue a Nomination Certificate to successful business category candidates. Citizenship and Immigration Canada, via the visa offices, processes Work Permits and Permanent Residence applications in order to come to Canada.