B.C. Provincial Nominee Program (B.C. PNP)
Each Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has unique criteria concerning skills, education, and work experience. Many provinces mandate connections to the province, like familial ties or a job offer. Our expertise lies in the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) and the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).
B.C. Provincial Nominee Program (B.C. PNP) Under the BC PNP Program, Skills Immigration, there are 6 different streams:
- Skilled Worker Stream
- Skilled Worker Stream- Express Entry option
- Health Authority Stream
- International Graduate Stream
- International Post-Graduate Stream
- Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS) Stream
The previously used National Occupational Classification (NOC) system has been replaced with the TEER system (Training, Experience, Education and Responsibilities) as of November 16, 2022. The BC PNP uses the 2021 version of the NOC for applications submitted on or after this date. There are six TEER categories:
- TEER 0 – Management jobs
- TEER 1 – Jobs that usually require a university degree.
- TEER 2 – Jobs that usually require some college education or more than 2-year apprenticeships or related supervisory positions.
- TEER 3 – Jobs that usually require some college education or less than 2-year apprenticeships or less than 6 months on-the-job training.
- TEER 4 – Jobs that usually require high school education or several weeks on-the-job training.
- TEER 5 – Jobs with no education requirement and training will be provided at work.
Requirements for all Skills Immigration Applicants You will need to prove your intention to live permanently in BC and that you will benefit the BC economy by transferring your skills and maintaining or creating jobs for Canadians. Immigration Status in Canada: The BC PNP will not consider your application if you are out of status in Canada, working in Canada without authorization, have an unresolved refugee claim, or are under a removal order. Language Proficiency: Depending on the classification of the job you have been offered, you must provide a valid English or French language test demonstrating proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in each of the four competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Signed Job Offer Letter: You must submit a signed job offer letter from an eligible B.C. employer. Skilled Worker Stream You must be offered a job in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3). Your employer must provide you with a signed indeterminate job offer on official company letterhead. Your job offer does not need to be indeterminate if you have an employment offer in an eligible tech occupation. You must have a minimum of two years of full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience in any skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) obtained within the last ten years. This experience may be Canadian or gained abroad. Student work experience that is not part of a paid co-op work term does not count towards this requirement. The position offered to you must align with – and be needed to maintain or grow – your employer’s existing line of business. New lines of business may not be supported.
Employer Requirements
Years in Business:
- The employer must have operated in BC for at least 1 year (2 years for the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream).
- The employer may need to provide documentation like business incorporation or tax returns as evidence.
Business Registration:
- The employer must be incorporated in BC or extra-provincially registered.
- The employer must possess a valid Business Licence.
Minimum Number of Full-Time Employees in BC:
- If located in the Metro Vancouver Regional District, the employer must have at least 5 indeterminate, full-time employees (or equivalents) working in BC.
- If located outside Metro Vancouver, the employer must have at least 3 indeterminate, full-time employees (or equivalents) working in BC.
Ownership:
- The applicant or their family cannot own more than a 10% stake in the company.
Recruitment Activities:
- The employer must demonstrate that the applicant’s employment will not affect the employment of Canadians and permanent residents.
- The employer must show evidence of genuine recruitment activities for a minimum of 14 days.
- This requirement may be waived if the applicant already has a valid work permit and is currently working full-time for the supporting employer in BC.
For the Skilled Worker Stream – Express Entry option, the applicant must also have an active Express Entry profile number. For the Health Authority Stream, the applicant must have a full-time, permanent job offer from a BC Health Authority. Physicians, nurse practitioners, and midwives not directly employed by a BC public health authority may also be eligible. The other streams (International Graduate, International Post-Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled) have their own specific requirements related to the applicant’s education, work experience, and job offer.
Registration Factors for all Skilled Streams:
| Scoring Sections | Max points | |
| Human Capital Factors (max 120 points ) | Directly related work experience | 40 |
| Education | 40 | |
| Language | 40 | |
| Economic Factors (max 80 points) | Hourly wage of the Job Offer in BC | 55 |
| Area within BC | 25 | |
| 200 |
Human Capital Factors:
- Directly related work experience
Full-time (minimum of 30 regular hours per week) and part-time work experience, as it directly relates to the job you have been offered in B.C. This experience may be from work performed within Canada or abroad.
Student work experience that is not part of a paid co-op work term does not count towards directly related work experience points. The co-op experience is accepted with conditions that is was gained after studies and it was a full time (30h per week or more)
The BC PNP defines directly related work experience as paid employment that is classified under the same NOC code as the B.C. job offer that you have accepted. Experience in a related occupation at a NOC TEER category equal to or higher than the NOC TEER category of the B.C. job offer may also be included if, at the time of application, you can satisfactorily demonstrate how this work experience is directly related.
| Directly Related Work Experience in the Occupation of B.C. Job Offer | Points |
| 5+ years | 20 |
| 4-5 years | 16 |
| 3-4 years | 12 |
| 2-3 years | 8 |
| 1-2 years | 4 |
| Less than 1 year | 1 |
| No experience | 0 |
| 1 year or more of directly related experience in Canada | 10 |
| Currently working full-time in B.C. for the employer in the occupation identified in the BC PNP registration | 10 |
| MAXIMUM SCORE AVAILABLE |
40 |
If you were on a leave of absence or on extended leave, that time away from your position will not be counted towards your directly related work experience, even if you remained employed during that period. Reasonable vacation periods will not be deducted from your work experience.
- Education
Points for education are based on your highest level of education indicated in the registration.
| Highest level of Education | Points |
| Doctoral Degree | 27 |
| Master’s Degree | 22 |
| Post-Graduate Certificate or Diploma | 15 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 15 |
| Associate Degree | 5 |
| Post-secondary Diploma/Certificate (Trades or Non-Trades) | 5 |
| Secondary School (High School) or Less | 0 |
| Additional points for education in B.C. or Canada | |
| Post-secondary education completed in B.C., or | 8 |
| Post-secondary education completed in Canada (outside of B.C.) | 6 |
| Additional points for professional designation in B.C.: | |
| Eligible professional designation in B.C. | 5 |
| MAXIMUM SCORE AVAILABLE |
40 |
- Language
Points for language proficiency are based on the lowest Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score obtained in each of the four competencies: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Language requirements for occupations classified under NOC TEER 2, 3, 4 or 5 If you are registering or applying with a job offer for an occupation classified under NOC TEER 2, 3, 4 or 5, you must demonstrate English or French language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in each of the four competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Language requirements for occupations classified under NOC TEER 0 or 1 If the position offered to you is classified under NOC TEER 0 or 1, you are not required to submit valid language test results at the time of registration unless you are claiming points for language.
IELTS General, CELPIP, TEF and TCF
| Canadian Language Benchmark Level | Points |
| 9+ | 30 |
| 8 | 25 |
| 7 | 20 |
| 6 | 15 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 4 | 5 |
| Bellow 4 or no test | 0 |
| Additional Points: | |
| proficiency in both English and French | 10 |
| MAXIMUM SCORE AVAILABLE
|
40 |
You can claim additional points for both English and French proficiency You may be eligible for additional points if you meet all of the following criteria: • you have completed both a valid English and French language proficiency test within the past two years • you scored CLB 4 or higher in each of the four competencies on both tests • you provide a copy of your valid English and French language proficiency tests at application.
- Economic Factors
| Area of employment within B.C. | Points |
| Area 1: Metro Vancouver Regional District | 0 |
| Area 2: Squamish, Abbotsford, Agassiz, Mission, and Chilliwack | 5 |
| Area 3: Areas of B.C. not included in Area 1 or 2 | 15 |
| Additional points: | |
| Regional Experience (min 1 year) | 10 |
| Regional Alumni | 10 |
| Maximum Score Available | 25 |
Points for a wage is based on the hourly wage outlined in your job offer. When assessing your wages, the BC PNP will only consider your hourly rate of pay. You will receive 0 point for $16/h or less, 1 point for income between $16-$16.99 and 1 point more for every additional 2 dollars you make. If you make $70/h and above, you will receive max 55 points.
- Area of employment within BC
Additional points for regional experience To qualify for regional experience points, you must have completed at least one year of full-time (or full-time equivalent) paid employment in Area 2 or 3.
Additional points for regional alumni: to qualify for regional alumni points, you must have graduated from a public B.C. postsecondary institution, located outside of the MVRD