British Columbia

British Columbia

Located on Canada’s west coast, British Columbia is known for the unparalleled natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Economic growth and labor demand have made the province one of Canada’s top immigration destinations.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), is a collection of immigration pathways enabling foreign nationals to become Canadian permanent residents in BC. The PNP is strategically designed to attract immigrants in areas which will benefit the province: skilled workers, workers in sectors with labour shortages, entrepreneurs, and investors. The province operates several immigration streams divided among two categories:

  • British Columbia Skills Immigration
  • British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration

BC Skills Immigration

British Columbia Skills Immigration is for foreigners with the skills needed to become a significant part of British Columbia’s workforce. Pathways within BC Skills Immigration focus on immigrants who are job prospects in BC and demonstrate the experience necessary to secure and maintain employment as a BC resident. Mainly there are 2 types of programs:

  • British Columbia Express Entry
  • BC Provincial Nominee Program (Non-Express Entry)

Candidates are not required to be eligible for Express Entry to apply to the BC Skills Immigration streams. However, most of the programs contained within BC Skills Immigration offer an accelerated pathway to permanent residence for eligible candidates who have an active Express Entry profile. Refer to the application procedure of each stream to determine whether it offers an Express Entry pathway.

BC Entrepreneur Immigration

British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration targets foreign nationals and foreign companies who have demonstrated track records of success in business ownership, management, and investment. Individual entrepreneurs with significant personal net worth and international corporations with high annual revenues may immigrate to BC through the establishment of new enterprises in the province.