BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (BC PNP)

The BCPNP (British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program) is the program employed by the government of British Columbia to select immigration candidates to nominate to the Canadian government to become permanent residents of the province and contribute to growing the economy.

The BCPNP is one of Canada's PNPs. With 10 different immigration streams, the program is extremely diverse, with two categories for skilled workers and international graduates in Canada and post-graduates in British Columbia: Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration, and an additional one for entrepreneurs.

Choosing British Columbia Immigration

The province of British Columbia is located in the western area of Canada. The Canadian province is home to one of the biggest and most diverse cities in Canada, Vancouver. BC is the third most populated province to immigrate to, following only Ontario and Québec. The province of British Columbia is one of the most sought-after immigration destinations in Canada.

British Columbia offers some attractive pathways into the province. These can be split between Express Entry aligned streams, and non-aligned.

Express Entry Aligned Streams

The BCPNP currently includes four streams that are Express Entry aligned. When a provincial nomination is issued to a successful applicant, the applicant will receive 600 extra CRS points. This, in turn, will lead the applicant to automatically receive an ITA in the subsequent Express Entry draw from the pool. These points are only used for streams that align with Express Entry.

Non-Express Entry Aligned Streams

Some programs outside the Express Entry have opportunities under the Skills Immigration (SI) streams as well. These are a good course to consider as they present the same immigration opportunities available through the Express Entry aligned streams. Other streams include healthcare professionals with job offers and entrepreneur investors.