You need help with immigration to Canada and you are eyeing British Columbia immigration? Great, let’s go!
In this article, you will learn how to immigrate to British Columbia: here are programs, procedures, guidelines.
This province calls itself magnificent. Its motto is “Splendor without diminishment”. And really, it seems that the vast territories of its most beautiful nature are endless.
The province is proud of its 14 protected national parks. Here you can meet mooses, mountain goats, coyotes, wolverines, hawks, and grizzlies (we strongly recommend going to such meetings… dressed up in a strong car :)).
The capital is Victoria. The largest city is a majestic, progressive, and powerful Vancouver. Fun fact: Vancouver is called “North Hollywood”. And for a good reason: North America has only Los Angeles and New York making move movies than Vancouver. So in this city, your chances of meeting your favorite star at the next table are very high.
The basis of the economic stability of the province is natural resources. Surprisingly, British Columbia has excellent agriculture. After all, here less than 5% of the land is arable. 75% of the territory is occupied by taiga forests: it is not surprising that the timber industry is developed here, as only in a few other places in the world.
British Columbia is the largest hub. With many access to the sea, the province is one of the leading transport arteries in North America. Accordingly, a significant part of the population is engaged in international trade. Business in Canada is ubiquitously developed, and British Columbia is no exception. New jobs are mainly generated by industries such as construction, retail, and services.
The Russian-speaking diaspora in the province is quite large: Slavic peoples make up about 10% of the population. As you know, immigration to Canada has been very popular among the Slavs for over 100 years.
Immigration programs
Like every province (except Quebec), British Columbia has its own provincial immigration program, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The BC PNP consists of many elements and is one of the largest provincial programs for immigration to Canada. Let’s take a quick look at its elements.
For qualified professionals
The Skilled Worker Category program is intended for those who are skilled workers who already have an official job offer from an employer in British Columbia. The program involves obtaining permanent residence in Canada.
Requirements for a candidate
- you must have at least 2 years of experience in an identical position
- your position must be full-time
- there must be an employment contract
- your specialty must fall under the classification of “highly qualified” (according to the NOC level: 0, A or B)
- your income should allow you and your family members who perform moving to Canada with you to ensure at least the minimum acceptable standard of living
- knowledge of the language you need. There is no minimum knowledge level for categories 0 or A, but the province may require you to take a test. For category B, a test is required.
The Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Category program allows people who are currently living and working in the Northeast region of British Columbia to obtain residence permits in Canada. At the same time, the list of specialties is rather limited: sightseeing guides, outdoor recreation guides, bartenders, waiters, janitors, dry cleaning employees, truck drivers, food production workers, etc.
Requirements for a candidate
- work experience in the specialty: 9 months, continuously
- previously you worked at least 30 hours a week and did not receive an education
- language test certificate (e.g. TOEFL)
- your income should allow you and your family members who have moved with you to have life comfort at least at a minimal financial level
- you must have all the certificates you need to work in your specialty
- education: full school
- while you are nominated for the program, you must retain your current job
- employment contract (except for the North-East region)
The International Graduate Category program is for graduates from accredited colleges or universities in Canada. Importantly, education does not have to be obtained in the province (which is rare for provincial programs). The program allows you to get permanent residence in Canada. A prerequisite for immigration to Canada is that you must have an up-to-date job offer from an employer located in British Columbia.
This program works with Canada’s Express Entry, an electronic filing and processing system. You should have an active profile in the system with a registered number before submitting an application. The increase in points in the system allows you to speed up the process of immigration to Canada.
Requirements for a candidate
- availability of a diploma from an accredited state university of Canada
- an active profile in the Express Entry system with the corresponding applicant number
- your language proficiency meets the language requirements of the Express Entry system
- 2 calendar years have not passed since your graduation from the university
- you need extra points in the Express Entry system
- you have a degree from an accredited Canadian public post-secondary education institution
- you have an active job offer
- your employer is in British Columbia
- your position implies a full-time job
- your skilled occupation belongs to following NOC categories: 0, A or B
- you have all the certificates you need to carry out your business
- your salary must be competitive
- you have enough personal funds for moving to Canada
International Post-Graduate Category Program
Under this program, you can obtain a residence permit. It was created for those who have graduated from an accredited college or university in British Columbia and want to immigrate to Canada.
Not everyone can go through the program, but only those who have received a specialty of particular interest to the province.
Specialties must belong to the spheres:
- health care
- physical sciences
- biology and medicine
- agriculture
- engineering
- informatics
- computer engineering
- mathematics and statistics
- discovery and conservation of natural resources
An employment contract is not required to complete the program.
Requirements for a candidate
- presence of an active profile in the Express Entry electronic document management system for immigration data
- you need to increase the number of points in the system
- you must be a master or Ph.D.
- your diploma must be no more than 2 years old from the date of issue
- you must prove that you plan to actually reside in British Columbia after obtaining a residence permit
Health Care Professional Category
Are you a healthcare professional looking to immigrate to Canada? Then you should look at the Health Care Professional Category program. It is specifically designed so that health professionals can perform moving to Canada without the hassle of red tape. Professions eligible for the program:
- doctor
- paramedic
- paramedic of psychiatry
- obstetrician
- physiotherapist
- occupational disease specialist
- radiography technician
- medical technician
- sonographer technician
- clinical pharmacist
A prerequisite is a professional experience. That being said, you must have an active job offer from a British Columbia employer.
Requirements for a candidate
- you must have experience in an identical position
- your experience must be at least 2 years
- you must have a valid employment contract
- your employer must be located in British Columbia
- your position should provide you with a full-time job
- your contract must be drawn up for a highly qualified specialty, which according to the NOC classification belongs to the following categories: 0, A or B
- if your specialty belongs to category B, you need a proof of language skills
- your income must provide you and your family members wishing to immigrate to Canada the minimum acceptable standard of living
- for specialties of category B, you will need to take a language test. For other categories, it is not provided, but can be requested
For entrepreneurs
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration program is designed for:
- entrepreneurs
- investors
- employees of foreign companies opening a business in Canada
The program has 3 areas: Entrepreneur, Strategic Projects and Entrepreneur Immigration
Entrepreneur
British Columbia has its own e-selection system designed specifically for entrepreneurs. It is called Entrepreneur Immigration Registration, EIR, and it accepts no more than 200 applications per month and allows applicants to score points. The people with the highest number of points receive an invitation to apply for the nomination.
Attention! This system does not allow you to create an official statement of the desire to live in the province: it is a register of candidates who have expressed a desire to participate in one of the immigration programs.
Successful applicants receive a work permit for 2 years. This program allows you to subsequently obtain permanent residence in Canada.
If you are looking to start your own business in the least populated areas of British Columbia (communities of up to 75,000 people), the local Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot program is for you. The project has a limited time frame, hurry up!
The Strategic Projects direction was created for international companies. If the company opens an office, a representative office in the province, then its five key employees will be able to obtain a residence permit in Canada.
Requirements for the applicant company
- you must create or buy a ready-made business in British Columbia
- the minimum investment in a business in British Columbia is $500,000
- you must sign a business development agreement with the province
- you must prove the success of your existing business
- you must prove that these employees are truly valuable to British Columbia and they must be eligible for immigration status
- you must create at least 3 jobs for Canadian citizens
Also in British Columbia, there are other Canadian immigration programs:
Within BC PNP Express Entry:
EE Skilled Worker is for qualified professionals with professional experience who have a job offer
EE International Graduate is for Canadian college graduates who have a job offer
EE International Post-Graduate is for graduates who have received certain specialties (the same as in the International Post-Graduate Category program) and do not necessarily have an employment contract
EE Health Care Professional is for qualified healthcare professionals who have a job offer and professional experience
There is also a separate program for technicians registered with the SIRS (Skills Immigration Registration System, Canadian immigration registration system), and who are invited to a position in a highly sought after profession.
If you need help understanding questions about immigration to Canada, and in particular to British Columbia, contact our specialists! The preliminary consultation is free! We can help you get permanent residence in Canada in the best way, saving you effort, money, and time.