This is a provincial program and it is operated by the province of British Columbia. The British Columbia Skilled Worker Program is one of several immigration programs included in British Columbia’s Provincial Nomination Program (BCPNP).
Eligibility Criteria
If you are looking for this program you will need:
- Language skills with CLB 4.
- You will need a job letter.
- You will need to have working experience of the same occupation as the job offer for 2 years.
Things no need to provide for this stream
Following are the things you will not need to provide
- Express entry profile
- Level of education
- Investment
- Connection to province
Express entry requirements
If you want to apply for this program, you will not need to provide an Express entry profile, but if you have an active Express Entry profile, you are eligible for this program and you want to make your application process speedy you may participate through the express entry system.
Job offer
You will need:
- Job letter from BC employer
- Your job should be a full time
- It should be from an authorized employer
- The job offer should be for work at the National Occupation classification
- Your minimum wages should meet the requirements
For the British Columbia skilled worker stream you will need a job offer from a BC employer. You will require a valid job offer full-time, indeterminate employment from a British Columbia employer. Your minimum salary should be equal to the average provincial wages for the occupation. The job offer should be for work at National Occupation classification with skill level 0, A, or B. The BC PNP job offer does not need to be supported by the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). If you are applying through BC Tech Pilot, the job offer requirements will be different
Language(English or French) proficiency
To be eligible for a skilled worker visa, you will need to meet the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or higher for your English or French language proficiency. The application with a job offer at National Occupation Skill Level B will provide language exam results proving language (English or French) proficiency at CLB 4.
People who are exempt from Language (English or French) proficiency
Some skilled workers have exceptions from Language(English or French) proficiency requirements. The applicant who has a job offer from a BC employer at NOC Level 0 or A is exempt from the language proficiency needs.
Working experience
For this stream, you need to fulfill the work experience requirements. When you obtain a job offer from a BC employer, you will need two years of work experience in the same job you are offered. You will need a qualification to perform the job in BC.
Financial requirements
You will prove that you are capable enough to survive in Canada; you have settlement funds to support you and your family in Canada. The majority of economic immigration applicants will be required to provide evidence of sources of financial assistance. The money you need to show will help you once you reach there and start living. It depends on your number of family members. The money you need to show is for following individuals:
- You (Primary candidate)
- Your spouse or common-law partner
- Your dependent children
- Spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children
For funds needs, check the following table updates in 2021.
| Family members | Amount required |
| 1 | $12,960 |
| 2 | $16,135 |
| 3 | $19,836 |
| 4 | $24,083 |
| 5 | $27,315 |
| 6 | $30,806 |
| 7 | $34,299 |
| for each aditional family member | $3,492 |
People who have an exemption from settlement funds requirements
There are some candidates or applicants who do not need to show the funds requirements. These people are:
- Refugee claimants
- Spousal sponsorship candidates
Employer Requirements
The candidate will be required a job offer from a BC-authorized employer. For BC skilled worker stream, the employer will need to meet the requirements in order for their job offers to be considered legitimate.
Job offer Requirements
Job offer requirements are very important. Your employer must fulfill these conditions. The employer must offer:
- A full-time job
- The job should be of an indeterminate position
- The minimum salary should meet the industry standards
- The position should meet British Columbia’s minimum salary requirements as per the candidates’ annual wage
Business requirements
In BC, there are some basic requirements to manage a business. The business must be established. It should meet the standards of BC with a previous record of a good place and business practice. The business must also meet the minimum needs of its employees. Inside Vancouver, at least five full-time employees are required for this stream. Whereas outside Vancouver, at least three full-time employees are required.
Recruitment Requirements
The employer must show that reasonable efforts were made to recruit Canadians to fill the position before offering it to a foreign national. Specifically, under the BCPNP, employees are not required to obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order for their status to be legitimate.
Application process
The BC application procedure is easy for the candidate who meets the minimum eligibility criteria. The British Columbia stream operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. The candidate should meet the minimum requirements for this stream, if he does, he should make a profile then register this profile on British Columbia’s online immigration portal. He will describe on this BC profile whether he wants to apply through:
- Regular Skills immigration system or
- Express Entry system (speedy track)
At the end of profile submission, the next step will be taken. The applicant will be assigned a score under CRS. Then he will be ranked against other candidates. This process will be done using the British Columbia Immigration Ranking System.
Who will obtain ITA?
The candidates who obtain the highest rank in the British Columbia Immigration Ranking System will receive an invitation to apply. The top-ranked candidates will be invited to apply to the stream in one of the stream’s periodic intakes.
How much time do you have to submit your application?
You will submit your application within 30 days from when you receive the invitation to apply (ITA). You must submit your completed application because the system will not allow you to proceed to the next step until you have completed the required fields and documents. One important thing is that if your application is incomplete, your application will be returned without processing your request.
Application fee
You will pay CAD $700 application fee per application.
Provincial Nomination for permanent residence
When your application is successfully approved, you will receive an application nomination for permanent residence by British Columbia. You may also request a letter of support for a temporary work permit so that you will be able to start working in Canada while your application for permanent residence is processed.
Requesting for a work permit with a letter of support from a province represents a separate application to IRCC. If the applicant has indicated on his BC profile that he is applying for the BC Skilled Worker stream through Express Entry, he will receive a notification of nomination on his IRCC online account. After accepting the Provincial Nomination, the Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) score of the applicants will be increased by 600 points. This will practically guarantee that they will apply for permanent residence in the next Express Entry Draw after receiving ITA. After obtaining an ITA, applicants must prepare and submit an official application for permanent residence in Canada within the stipulated time frame.
Applications for permanent residence submitted by express entry are usually processed within six months. If the applicant indicates on their BC profile that they are regularly applying for the BC Skilled Worker stream through the Skilled Immigration System, the applicant must submit an official application for permanent residence. It’s time for the month. They must prepare a paper-based application and submit it by post to the appropriate center. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are usually processed within 18 months.
Points distribution
| Factor | Maximum Points | |
| Economic Factors (120) | Skill Level of the B.C. Job Offer | 60 |
| The wage of the B.C. Job Offer | 50 | |
| Regional District of Employment | 10 | |
| Human Capital Factors (80) | Directly Related Work Experience | 25 |
| Highest Level of Education | 25 | |
| Language | 30 | |
| Total Available Points | 200 |