British Columbia Immigration
British Columbia Immigration
Westernmost in Canada is the province of British Columbia. Along with the entire western continental coastline along the Pacific Ocean, it is renowned for being the most diversified province. It is known as one of the most beautiful places in the world thanks to its large, open forests and special coastal climate. The province’s economy is largely reliant on the mining and forestry industries for its natural resources. Vancouver, the third-largest city in Canada, is a bustling seaport on the west coast. The ethnic diversity of British Columbia includes a distinctive blend of Europeans and Asians.
British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (BCPNP)
The Provincial Government of British Columbia administers this program in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Federal Immigration Department (IRCC). A two-stage process must be followed by interested candidates. In order for potential immigrants to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence, interested individuals must first submit an application for nomination to the provincial government. If selected, they can then submit an application for provincial nomination certificates. British Columbia Provincial Nominations receive a set amount of nominations from IRCC each year.
The two main immigration categories that British Columbia Provincial Nomination accepts applications for are as follows:
- Skilled immigration.
- Express Entry British Columbia Stream.
- Entrepreneur Immigration.
The Alberta government is working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal immigration agency, to implement this initiative. Candidates who are interested must go through a two-stage process: first, they must submit an application for nomination to the provincial government; if they are selected, they must then submit an application to the federal government for permanent residence.
The BC PNP Tech Pilot
A person may apply for an AIPN provincial nomination under this stream if they meet the stream’s minimal eligibility standards and are employed in an eligible occupation in Alberta.
Invitations are provided under the British Columbia program to candidates who have experience working in one of the 29 qualified occupations in the BC technology sector.
Candidates for the BC PNP Tech pilot program must still fulfill the fundamental condition of receiving an employment offer from a British Columbia employer for at least one year. Candidates who qualify in this stream include:
- Healthcare professionals
- International graduates
- International post-graduates
- Entry-level and Semi-skilled workers
Processing Times
For nomination applications under British Columbia’s Express Entry and Skills Immigration programs, the processing duration is two to three months. British Columbia predicts a 6-week processing period from the date of registration for applications submitted under the Entrepreneur Immigration program. The Registration Score Notification will require an additional 4 weeks of processing time. Currently, the IRCC completes applications for non-Express entry province nominations within 15 to 19 weeks at the federal level. While the average wait time for Express Entry applications is six months.