Immigration law in Canada is designed to promote the objectives of family reunification and to maximize the social, cultural and economic benefits to our country.
The BC Provincial government administers the BC Provincial Nominee Program which is designed to attract workers that have skills and experience that are specifically needed in BC. The BC PNP has several streams aimed at skilled workers, students that have graduated from eligible post-secondary schools in BC, employees of the public health authorities, and entrepreneurs. Each category has its own specific eligibility requirements.
The BC PNP is a great option for individuals who want to immigrate to Canada, but do not have strong enough scores for Express Entry. Most BC PNP categories require a job offer from an eligible BC employer, and can be a very valuable tool for BC employers wishing to retain their Temporary Foreign Worker employees.
Recently, the BC PNP made several changes to their program to better reflect the changing needs of the labour market in BC. You can read about the changes on the BC PNP website: https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/News Highlights of the changes that took effect in November 2022 are reproduced from the BC PNP website below:
- The points structure has been updated to help regional employers retain people with experience working or studying outside of the Metro Vancouver Regional District
- Eligibility for the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) has been expanded to any skilled occupation in the regions
- The International Post-Graduate stream has been expanded to include doctoral graduates and PhD candidates in any field of study
- University professors and lecturers (NOC 41200) working at B.C. public universities on limited term contracts are now eligible for the Skilled Worker stream
- The maximum points for human capital factors – education, work experience and language proficiency – has been increased
- Points for NOC skill level have been removed
- Other changes to criteria that protect the safety of British Columbians and strengthen the integrity of the program
Please contact us for a consultation for an assessment of your eligibility for permanent residence to Canada including the BC PNP.