PR in British Columbia for International Students

Applying for Permanent Residence in British Columbia can be done through the British Columbia Nominee Program, also known as the BCPNP. This is a two-step process in British Columbia. First, you have to apply for a nomination to the British Columbia Provincial government. Secondly, when the British Columbia government nominates you, you can apply to the IRCC for permanent residence. 

Unlike other provinces, British Columbia doesn’t require a job offer or work experience. So, you can apply for PR in British Columbia as soon as you graduate. 

British Columbia at a glance:

British Columbia, also known as B.C., is the westernmost province in Canada. It is bordered to the north by the Yukon and Northwest Territories, to the east by the province of Alberta, to the south by the U.S. and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. The capital of B.C. is Victoria (On Vancouver Island), named after Queen Victoria, who ruled the British Empire during the creation of the actual British Colonies in Canada.

Vancouver, the third-largest metropolitan city in Canada and second largest in the Pacific Northwest, is home to an estimated 2.5 million people. British Columbia’s land area is around 944,735 sq kilometers, and it has a coastline of 27,000 km. B.C. is home to a diverse climate and to scenery unparalleled in Canada due to deep mountainous fjords and 6,000 islands.

Cost of living in British Columbia: 

North Vancouver and West Vancouver are both quite pricey. The rent for a bachelor apartment in West Vancouver is often higher than downtown. You can find more affordable housing options further ou, like in Marpole, the southern edge of the city. Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster & Surrey have cheap accommodation options. The average rent for a two-bedroom bachelor apartment costs from  $1400 - to $1800, depending on the city. 

As the cost of living in British Columbia varies from city to city, use the B.C. provincial government calculator to get an accurate estimate. 

Scholarships in British Columbia: 

There aren’t many scholarships for international students offered by the British Columbia Provincial government. However, there are many scholarships for domestic students. You can find more about the B.C. provincial government scholarships at:

1. Scholarships, Grants, Bursaries & Awards

2. Scholarships and Bursaries

Top Growing Industries in British Columbia:

These industries will create more jobs in British Columbia in the coming years. So, graduating with a relevant degree in any of thesen fields will provide you an upper hand in securing a well-paying job and when later applying for PR in British Columbia.

• Agriculture

• Construction

• Film and Television 

• Fisheries and Aquaculture

• Forestry 

• Technology 

  • Information and Communication technology 

  • Cleantech

  • Interactive and Digital Media 

  • I.T./Engineering Services 

  • Lifesciences

• Manufacturing 

• Mining 

• Tourism 

Interesting Facts About British Columbia: 

1. It is the third-largest province in Canada and is four times the size of Great Britain.

2. More than half of British Columbians live in a metropolitan area. 

3. It has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, six National Parks, and 400+ provincial parks for recreation and conservation. 

4. Two-thirds of B.C., which is larger than France, is covered by forest and only one-half of its total area is inhabited. 

5.  B.C. is one of the top 3 cranberry and blueberry producing areas of the world.

6. It has the mildest average climate in Canada. Some areas have the longest frost-free period in Canada and flowers start to bloom as early as February, in certain locales.

7. Vancouver Island is home to the highest waterfall in Canada; the Della Falls are eight times the height of Niagara Falls. 

8. “The hanging garden tree,” the oldest known Western Red Cedar tree, is believed to be 1,500 to 2,000 years old. 

9. Alcohol was prohibited in BC from 1917-1921.

10. Greater Vancouver and nearby areas, also known as the Hollywood of Canada, are among the largest film production centers in North America. Movies that were shot here are:

    • Twilight 

    • Supernatural

    • Criminal Mind

    • Lucifer

    • The Flash 

    • The Vampire Diaries & Riverdale

11. Home to 25% of all black bears in Canada.

Top Universities or Colleges in British Columbia:

Top universities or colleges in Alberta

Name	Town
The University of British Columbia	Vancouver
Simon Fraser University	Burnaby
University of Victoria	Victoria
British Columbia Institute of Technology	Burnaby
Vancouver Island University	Nanaimo
University of Northern British Columbia	Prince George
Thompson Rivers University	Kamloops
Kwantlen Polytechnic University	Surrey
University of the Fraser Valley	Abbotsford
Capilano University	North Vancouver
Trinity Western University	Langley
Royal Roads University	Victoria

Cheapest Universities or Colleges in British Columbia for International Students:

1. Kwantlen Polytechnic University

2. Camosun College

3. University of the Fraser Valley

4. Vancouver Island University

5. British Columbia Institute of Technology

6. Thompson Rivers University

7. Royal Roads University

8. Trinity Western University

9. University of Northern British Columbia

10. University of Victoria

PR in British Columbia:

Most provinces require job offers and or work experience. In BC, you don’t need a job offer if you have a master’s degree from any of these streams:

1.  Agricultural 

2. Life Sciences

3. Health Sciences 

4. Engineering programs 

This means that you can apply for PR in British Columbia as soon as you finish your studies. The day you graduate, you are eligible to apply for P.R. You should apply for PR as soon as possible because future changes in B.C.'s laws may affect your application. The British Columbia Nominee Program (BC PNP) has three streams:

1. Skill Immigration

2. Express Entry BC (EEBC)

3. BC PNP - Entrepreneur Immigration

1. Skill Immigration 

Skill Immigration is for those applicants who have skills, experience, and qualifications and who are interested in PR in British Columbia. This stream helps British Columbia’s employers recruit bright foreign workers and international students. This stream has five different substreams: 

1.1 Skilled Worker

To be eligible in this category, you need to have:

1. Accepted a full-time and indeterminate job offer from a B.C. employer. The job must be a skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B in a National Occupational Classification (NOC);

2. Qualified to perform the job responsibilities ;

3. Demonstrate a minimum of two years of directly related work experience;

4. The ability to support your dependent(s) and yourself;

5. Legal immigration status in Canada when applying;

6. Meet minimum language requirements for NOC skill level-B occupations;

7. Received a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation;

8. Your employer needs to support your application. See your employer’s requirements here. [https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/B-C-Provincial-Nominee-Program/Employer-Requirements]

1.2 Health Care Professional

To qualify for this category, you must:

1. Demonstrate support of a full-time indeterminate job offer from a public health authority as any of the following:

   • physician, medical specialist, registered nurse, registered psychiatric nurse, nurse practitioner, allied health professional such as a diagnostic medical sonographer, clinical pharmacist, medical laboratory technologist, medical radiation technologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist;

2. Have a confirmation letter from an established practice group in B.C, if you are a midwife;

3. Qualifications and/or certifications to work in your occupation in B.C.;

4. Minimum of two years of directly related work experience;

5. Demonstrate financial support of you and your dependent(s);

6. Legal immigration status in Canada during application;

7. Meet minimum language requirements for NOC skill level-B occupations.

1.3 International Graduate

If you are an international student, who graduated within the last three years, from an eligible Canadian university or college and are looking to settle in British Columbia, this stream is for you. To apply for PR in British Columbia under this stream, you need to fulfill the following requirements;

1. Have accepted a full-time and indeterminate job offer from a B.C. employer. The job must be a skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B) in a National Occupational Classification (NOC).

2. Qualification to work in your occupation in B.C.;

3. Minimum of two years of directly related work experience;

4. Demonstrate financial support of you and your dependent(s);

5. Legal immigration status in Canada during application;

6. Meet minimum language requirements for NOC skill level-B occupations;

7. Completed a degree, diploma, or certificate in the past three years from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada; 

8. Received a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation.

1.4 International Post Graduate

If you have graduated from any eligible British Columbia Institutions in the last three years with a master’s or Ph.D. degree, then you can apply in this stream. It is specifically for students who will work in B.C.'s growing technology, health care and/or applied sciences sectors. To apply, you need:

1. To have legal immigration status in Canada;

2. To have completed a valid graduate program in the last three year, from an eligible post-secondary institution in B.C.;

3. To have the ability and intent to live in B.C.

Eligible degrees must be in the following fields: 

• agriculture

• biological and biomedical sciences

• computer and information sciences and support services

• engineering

• engineering technology

• health professions and related clinical sciences

• mathematics and statistics

• natural resources conservation and research

• physical sciences

1.5 Entry-level and semi-skilled

This article will not be covering this stream. To know more, please visit welcomebc.ca.

2. BC PNP - Express Entry BC

This stream has four different substreams.

2.1 EEBC - Skilled Worker:

To apply for this sub-stream, you:

1. Received an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC Express Entry system. This shows you meet the minimum criteria for any of IRCC’s Express Entry programs:

   • Federal Skilled Worker Program

   • Federal Skilled Trades Program

   • Canadian Experience Class

2. Accept and have a full-time job offer from a B.C. employer; The job must be Skill type 0 or Skill Level A or B in a National Occupational Classification. 

3. Qualification to work in your job in B.C.

4. Minimum of two years of directly related work experience

5. Demonstrate financial ability to support yourself and your dependents

6. Have legal immigration status in Canada

7. Meet minimum language requirements

8. Received a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation

2.2 EEBC - Healthcare Professional:

To apply for this program, you:

1. Received an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC Express Entry system. This means you meet the minimum criteria for one of IRCC’s Express Entry programs:

   • Federal Skilled Worker Program

   • Federal Skilled Trades Program

   • Canadian Experience Class

2. Received a full-time and indeterminate job offer from a public health authority as any of the following:

   • physician, medical specialist, registered nurse, registered psychiatric nurse, nurse practitioner, allied health professional, such as, diagnostic medical sonographer, clinical pharmacist, medical laboratory technologist, medical radiation technologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist

3. Have a confirmation letter from an established practice group in B.C if you are a midwife.

4. Qualifications to work in your job in B.C.

5. Have a minimum of two years of directly related work experience

6. Demonstrate financial ability to support yourself and your dependents

7. Have legal immigration status in Canada

8. Meet minimum language requirements

9. Received a wage offer from the occupation in line with B.C. wage rates.

2.3 EEBC - International Graduate

Graduates who completed a degree abroad and are of foreign nationality can apply for PR in British Columbia under this stream. To apply for this substream, you:

1. Received an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC Express Entry system. This means you meet the minimum criteria for any of IRCC’s Express Entry programs:

   • Federal Skilled Worker Program

   • Federal Skilled Trades Program

   • Canadian Experience Class

2. Accepted a full-time and indeterminate job offer from a B.C. employer. The job must be a skilled occupation (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B) in a National Occupational Classification (NOC).

3. Qualifications, certification and/or acreditation, to work in your job in B.C.

4. Demonstrate financial ability to support yourself and your dependents

5. Have legal immigration status in Canada

6. Completed a degree, diploma, or certificate in the past three years from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada.

7. Meet minimum language requirements

8. Received a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation

2.4. EEBC - International Post-Graduate

If you have graduated from any eligible British Columbia Institutions in the last three years with a master’s or Ph.D. degree, then you can apply in this stream. This stream is specifically for students who can work in B.C.'s growing technology, health care and applied sciences sectors. To apply for PR in British Columbia, you must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Received an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC Express Entry system. This means you meet the minimum criteria for any of IRCC’s Express Entry programs:

   • Federal Skilled Worker Program

   • Federal Skilled Trades Program

   • Canadian Experience Class

2. Have legal immigration status in Canada

3. Completed a valid graduate program of study in the last three years from an eligible post-secondary institution in B.C.

4. Demonstrate your intent and ability to live in B.C.

Eligible degree must be in one of the following fields: 

• agriculture

• biological and biomedical sciences

• computer and information sciences and support services

• engineering

• engineering technology

• health professions and related clinical sciences

• mathematics and statistics

• natural resources conservation and research

• physical sciences

Here, find a complete list of B.C. institution programs, and they are eligible.

3. BC PNP - Entrepreneur Immigration

Entrepreneurs interested in buying or starting a new business in British Columbia can apply under this stream. You can apply for PR in British Columbia under any of these six sub-streams.

1. Entrepreneur Immigration - Regional Pilot: This program is specific to foreign entrepreneurs who want to buy or start a new business.

2. Entrepreneur Immigration - Community Profiles: It is for those entrepreneurs interested in investing in a particular area/region to foster the development and economic activity of a particular area. 

3. Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Requirements: If you have actively managed a qualifying business and are planning to invest in B.C.in order to immigrate, then this stream is for you. To qualify, you need:

   • A personal net worth of a minimum of $600,000

   • Have a business and/or management experience

   • Have legal immigration status in Canada

4. Strategic Projects: Foreign corporations can permanently transfer senior key staff members to B.C. to operate, manage and grow their business. Those permanent staff members can apply for B.C. P.R. through their corporation. 

To read more about BC PNP - Entrepreneur Immigration, please visit the British Provincial Government Website (https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/BC-PNP-Entrepreneur-Immigration)

Helpful Websites to know more about British Columbia and its Immigration Process:

1. Welcomebc.ca

2. Workbc.ca

3. Earning and Employment Trends of B.C.

4. B.C Labor Market

5. B.C Economy

6. Skills for the future

7. B.C High Opportunity Occupations

Beautiful British Columbia

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