How To Gain Permanent Residency In BC
Why Should You Choose British Columbia As Your Home?
For starters, the weather is just lovely. It’s always mild in British Columbia, and the maximum temperature is 30 degrees during the summer. Sometimes, it might go up to 40 degrees for about a week; otherwise, it remains at a perfectly pleasant 30. In winter, the average temperature is 0 to 5 degrees. You will get to see snow, but it won’t be as cold as it will be in other provinces like Ontario.
The capital city of British Columbia is Victoria. The minimum wage that is paid in British Columbia is $14.60 per hour, which is pretty decent. However, the cost of living is high. British Columbia is among the most expensive provinces of Canada, and if you want to live here, you need to have sufficient money to spend and earn well if you’re going to survive in BC. Compared to other provinces, the crime rates are low. It ranks third in terms of the population of the provinces and fifth in terms of size. So the province is relatively densely populated and is quite large in size.
BC is the best place for people who love nature. One of the best things about BC is that it has many lakes, which really add to the province’s beauty. There are also about 400 provincial parks in BC, which is quite a lot. BC also shares a border with Seattle in the US, so you can easily cross over to Seattle from this province.
About The BC PNP
BC PNP program is a Provincial Nominee Program where you are only invited if you have a job offer from BC, using the BC PNP Point Calculator. PNP nominations are issued here based on the labor market shortage. This is a collection of immigration pathways enabling foreign nationals to become Canadian permanent residents in BC. The BC PNP Point Calculator is strategically designed to attract immigrants in areas which will benefit the province: skilled workers, workers in sectors with labor shortages, entrepreneurs, and investors.
There are two sections of BC PNP and the BC PNP Point Calculator. The first one is Skills Immigration, and the other is Entrepreneurial Immigration.
BC Skills Immigration
British Columbia Skills Immigration targets foreign nationals with the skills to become meaningful members of BC’s workforce. The pathways within BC Skills Immigration emphasize immigrants with employment prospects in BC who demonstrate the experience needed to secure and maintain employment as BC residents. There are five categories under this section:
- British Columbia Skilled Worker
- British Columbia Healthcare Professional
- British Columbia International Graduate
- British Columbia International Post-Graduate
- British Columbia Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker (ELSS)
Skilled Worker Category
This comes under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the government of the province of British Columbia.
You can apply for this program if you have a job offer from BC and want to make BC your permanent residence. Candidates who are successfully nominated through the BC Skilled Worker program will be invited to submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence.
Under the BC PNP Point Calculator, candidates do not require an Express Entry profile to be eligible. You can directly apply to BC PNP, and once you have a BC PNP nomination, you can go ahead and get an Express Entry Profile later.
Eligibility
- This program requires you to have a job offer from a BC employer. It is expected to be a full-time, indeterminate job offer (the job offer must not be temporary or have a defined end date).
- No minimum education is required.
- No Express Entry Profile is required.
- NOC Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B. minimum CLB 4
- 2 years of full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience in any skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B).
- The average wage for your occupation.
- No LMIA is required since you are already working.
- No adaptability is required - family is not a factor.
- Proof of funds.
Employer Eligibility
Under the BC PNP Point Calculator, both the employer and the employee should be eligible if you want to apply under BC PNP. There are specific requirements that an employer should fulfill for you to be able to apply.
To recruit and retain in-demand workers for positions that can’t be filled from the domestic labor pool. They need to prove that they made an effort to hire from the local community but could not and that they turned to international workers.
- An eligible BC employer who is able to support your employee's BC PNP application.
- It would be best if you were established in BC and could meet domestic labor market recruitment requirements.
- The employer should offer full-time, indeterminate (permanent or with no set end date) employment.
- It would be best if you were established in BC and could meet domestic labor market recruitment requirements.
- The employer should provide a signed job offer.
- The employer should complete and sign the Employer Declaration Form.
- The employer should be able to submit supporting documents about your business.
- The employer should be able to follow the local rules and regulations of BC that makes the company eligible to apply under this program.
British Columbia Skills Immigration Ranking System
The candidate can also calculate their points according to the BC PNP Point Calculator to check eligibility. For this, you will have to create your login credentials and fill out the form, and within the BC PNP Point Calculator, they will give you certain points out of 200. Two types of factors are taken into consideration in the BC PNP Point Calculator: economic factors and human capital factors.
| Factor | Maximum Points | |
| Economic Factor (120 points) | Skill Level of the BC Job offer | 60 |
| Wage of the BC job offer | 50 | |
| Regional District of Employment | 10 | |
| Human Capital Factor | Directly related work experience | 25 |
| Highest level of Education | 25 | |
| Language | 30 | |
| Total Points | 200 |
BC PNP Skilled Worker E01 Stream
The BC PNP Skilled Worker E01 stream has certain criteria you must follow to apply.
- Create an account from the website and submit a BC PNP Online application. Make sure to keep all supporting documents scanned beforehand.
- Once the application is submitted, you receive a score based on your information and are ranked in the BC PNP pool.
- Wait for the BC PNP nomination.
- Once you receive the invitations from BC PNP, you have about 30 days to apply.
- Gather your documents and apply within this time. You must also pay the BC Skilled Worker stream charge of CAD 1150 application fee per applicant.
- You will be notified in about 4 weeks if your application is approved, and you will receive a BC PNP nomination.
- 600 points will be added to your BC PNP Point Calculator score.
- Apply to Express Entry.
- Wait for the draw again.
- Request a letter of support for a temporary work permit while you wait.
- Once you receive an ITA from Express Entry, you have 60 days to apply for permanent residency.
Skill Immigration Fees
All the fees in this process are non-refundable.
Registration | No fee |
Application | $ 1,150 |
Request for review | $ 500 |
BC PNP draws happen every week, and different categories will be invited, and the minimum scores will be defined accordingly in the BC PNP Point Calculator.
Conclusion - BC PNP POINT CALCULATOR
If you have a job offer from BC PNP and work experience there, your chances of getting permanent residency are pretty high as you are more likely to score better in the BC PNP Point Calculator. Feel free to reach out if you have questions!
