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Skills Immigration Stream
British Columbia Skills Immigration is a collection of immigration streams contained within the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of British Columbia. Through the BC Skills Immigration streams, workers and international graduates with the skills, education, and/or experience required to successfully contribute to the BC economy may be nominated for Canadian permanent residence.
Canadian Immigration Programs Overview
The following streams are part of BC Skills Immigration:
- BC Skilled Worker
- BC Healthcare Professional
- BC International Graduate
- BC International Post-Graduate
- BC Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker
The majority of programs contained within BC Skills Immigration require an applicant to have a job offer from a BC employer. Notably, the job offer does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to be considered valid under BC Skills Immigration. If approved for a provincial nomination through a Skills Immigration stream, BC will provide applicants with a work permit support letter, assisting them obtaining authorization to work while their immigration application is in processing. Candidates for BC Skills Immigration must register through BC PNP Online, the web portal managing the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). This online system manages the intake, ranking, and applications for BC PNP applications.
British Columbia 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. Application procedures through Express Entry compared to not through Express Entry are identical until an applicant receives a nomination from the province and must submit a federal application for permanent residence. Federal applications for Express Entry candidates are submitted online using the IRCC web portal and are processed in approximately 6 months. Federal applications for non-Express Entry candidates must be submitted as paper-based applications, in hard copy, to the appropriate processing centre. Paper-based applications are processed in approximately 18 months. Please note that the BC Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker stream does not have an Express Entry stream.
Did you know?
Candidates with experience in certain tech occupations may be eligible for accelerated processing and other benefits through the BC PNP Tech program.
BC Skilled Worker
The British Columbia Skilled Worker stream is designed to target immigrants who have an offer of employment from a BC employer for a skilled occupation. Eligible candidates are assigned points based on the BC Skills Immigration Ranking System and only individuals with the most competitive ranking are invited to apply to the PNP.
BC Healthcare Professional
The British Columbia Healthcare Professional stream is designed to target immigrants who have an offer of employment from a BC health authority for an eligible occupation in healthcare. If a foreign national meets the requirements for the program, they can submit an application at any time.
BC International Graduate
The British Columbia International Graduate stream is designed for recent graduates from Canadian post-secondary educational institutions who have an offer of employment from a BC employer in a skilled position. Eligible candidates are assigned points based on the BC Skills Immigration Ranking System and only individuals with the most competitive ranking are invited to apply to the PNP.
BC International Post-Graduate
The British Columbia International Post-Graduate stream is designed for recent graduates who have received a Master’s or Doctoral degree from an eligible institution in British Columbia. Only certain schools and programs are eligible for this pathway. If a foreign national meets the requirements for the program, they can submit an application at any time.
BC Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled
The British Columbia Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker (ELSS) stream is designed to target those with 9 months of work experience in a low-skilled occupation in BC who have received an offer of employment from a BC employer. In order to be eligible, the worker must have gained work experience in one of the target occupations or in a certain geographical region of the province. Eligible candidates are assigned points based on the BC Skills Immigration Ranking System and only individuals with the most competitive ranking are invited to apply to the PNP. Candidates who are eligible for this stream cannot apply through Express Entry.
British Columbia Skills Immigration Ranking System
The British Columbia Skills Immigration Ranking system uses the following points grid to rank candidates who have registered profiles. Only those candidates with the most competitive scores will be invited to apply to the program.
| Factor | Maximum Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Factors (120) | Skill Level of the B.C. Job Offer | 60 |
| Wage of the B.C. Job Offer | 50 | |
| Regional District of Employment | 10 | |
| Human Capital Factors (80) | Directly Related Work Experience | 25 |
| Highest Level of Education | 25 | |
| Language | 30 | |
| Total Available Points | 200 | |
*Note that not all BC Skills Immigration streams use the BC Skilled Immigration Ranking System.
British Columbia Skilled Worker – Recent Draws & Invitation History
Below is the information regarding recent British Columbia Skills Immigration draws from all categories:
