British Columbia is a popular destination for foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to Canada.
“The United Nations Human Development Index consistently ranks Canada as one of the world’s best countries to live in,” notes that provincial government’s website.
“People in British Columbia earn competitive wages and enjoy a high standard of living. Many employers in B.C. offer their workers extended benefit plans, including full medical and dental coverage options.”
The latest Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data reveals 70,820 new permanent residents chose to settle in British Columbia last year, roughly one out of every seven of the total 471,770 new permanent residents to Canada in 2023.
British Columbia also welcomed 112,030 temporary foreign workers under the International Mobility Program (IMP) and another 38,535 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The province also issued 126,830 study permits to international students last year.
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In its Provincial Economic Forecast – Better, but Not Strong, TD Economics forecast that this year will be one of slower growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before it rebounds in 2025, making this year the perfect time for foreign nationals to start applying for immigration to British Columbia.
TD Economics’ forecast for GDP growth in British Columbia in 2025 is 1.9 per cent.
With that anticipated growth in the British Columbia economy, foreign nationals may want to consider immigration to that province which they can do through Canada’s two-tier immigration system.
It allows foreign nationals to gain their permanent residency through the federal Express Entry system’s Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as well as the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) of the 10 Canadian provinces.
Through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), applicants follow a two-stage process.
First, they apply for nomination to the provincial government and then, if nominated, they then apply for permanent residence to the federal government.
BCPNP Accepts Immigration Applications Under Three Categories
The IRCC allocates to BCPNP a limited number of nominations each year.
The BCPNP accepts applications through the streams of three major categories of programs:
- Skills Immigration;
- Express Entry BC, and;
- Entrepreneur Immigration.
The Skills Immigration (SI) category targets skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in BC and is further divided into five components:
- Skilled Workers
- Health Authority
- International Graduates
- International Post-Graduates
- Entry-level and semi-skilled workers
These Express Entry streams, through periodic draws, enable the province to nominate qualified candidates for admission to Canada under the federal Express Entry immigration system:
- Skilled workers
- Health Authority
- International Graduates
- International Post-Graduates
The Entrepreneur category is aimed at high net worth individuals who wish to invest and operate a business in British Columbia and eventually settle in the province.
BC PNP Tech allows British Columbia immigration officials to expedite the processing of immigration candidates for in-demand technology occupations.
Through weekly draws, invitations are issued to candidates with work experience in one of 35 eligible occupations in the BC technology sector.
BC PNP Tech prioritizes technology sector applications under existing BC immigration streams. Candidates must still meet the basic requirements of an applicable British Columbia immigration category or stream, including a minimum one-year job offer from a B.C. employer.
Eligible categories: Skilled Workers, Healthcare Professionals, International Graduates, International Post-Graduates and Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Workers.
The BC PNP publishes a list of high demand occupations that it features in periodic targeted draws during which it issues Invitations to Apply to candidates for nomination under one of eligible streams:
- Skills Immigration: Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
- Express Entry BC: Skilled Worker, International Graduate
- Entrepreneur Immigration
