About the program
British Columbia is one of the most diverse economies in Canada with a wide range of fast-growing industries. In order to improve the province’s manpower, British Columbia PNP has dedicated a category called BC PNP Skills Immigration – International Post-graduate. The category aims to attract individuals who graduate with a Master’s or doctorate (Ph.D.) degree in the natural, applied or health sciences program of study at an eligible post-secondary institution in BC in the last three years to settle in BC permanently.
Eligibility
The Skills Immigration – International Post-Graduate does not require a genuine job offer but you would need to prove that you have a plan or are actively engaging in job searching. The category also has another benefit which is no requirement for registration scoring since the BC PNP allows candidates in the Skills Immigration – International Post-Graduate to proceed directly to the application. Before getting to details in the “Application Process”, here is the list of requirements
1. Have completed a valid graduate program
The applicants must have graduated in the last three years with a master’s or doctoral degree received within the past three years from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution in B.C. The Skills Immigration – International Post-Graduate category will mostly focus on programs in natural, applied or health sciences:
- Agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Computer and information sciences and support services
- Engineering
- Engineering technology and engineering-related fields
- Health professions and related programs
- Mathematics and statistics
- Natural resources conservation
- Physical sciences
The following link provides you with a full list of eligible post-graduate institutions, including the private and public sectors. The BC PNP does not allow distance course learning programs whether the course was completed from within Canada or abroad. If you find your program and the institution are not listed then it means the program is not acceptable for the category.
When you submit your official transcript, the date shown on your transcript must be less in than 3 years.
2. Have the ability and plan to live in British Columbia
You need to demonstrate evidence that after graduating, you will reside permanently in British Columbia and have the ability to do so. In some special circumstances, the BC PNP may consider exception but normally, if you are failing to prove it, you will be refused for your application.
Here is the list of what you need to demonstrate in your application for this requirement:
the length of any previous and/or current period of residence in B.C.
- Genuine connections to B.C. through work, study or family
- Description of any actions you’ve taken to permanently settle in B.C., such as finding a job or
- place to live
- Current employment in B.C.
- Employment search details (prospective employers, applications, networking efforts, business development, etc.)
- Community involvement
- Proof that you can financially support yourself in B.C.
- Plan to obtain or maintain legal authorization to work in B.C.
3. Be eligible to immigrate to Canada
The BC PNP program, in general, will not nominate someone who is inadmissible to migrate to Canada. Note-worthy, the federal economic immigration program will refuse your application too if you are in one of these categories:
- Prohibited from entering Canada
- In Canada and out of status: an individual whose status has expired, and who has not applied for restoration of status within the 90-day eligibility period, will be considered out of status
- Currently working in Canada without authorization
- Has an unresolved refugee claim in Canada
- Under a removal order in or outside of Canada
You can read more about other reasons would make you inadmissible in the links below:
How to apply
Since you won’t need to register first, your application process is shortened in comparison to other categories, includes these 4 stages:
Stage 1: Application
The BC PNP stated that if you are eligible for the following categories, you do not need to register and may proceed directly to the application and fee submission via BCPNP Online.
Use the link below to see the instructions for direct application (page 33):
The incomplete application won’t be processed.
Stage 2: Decision
The BC PNP may refuse to accept an application in these cases:
- An invitation for an application does not apply to that person
- The person has retained a representative who does not meet the prescribed requirements, as described in section 4 of the Provincial Immigration Programs Regulation
- The applicant has had a previous approval canceled by the BC PNP
- The applicant has, in the 2 years immediately before the date of the application, been found by the BC PNP to have made a misrepresentation in a previous application
- The applicant has another active application and/or registration
Your BC PNP nomination is only valid for 180 days (approximately 6 months) – the expiry date is noted on your Confirmation of Nomination. Submit your completed application for permanent residence to IRCC as soon as possible. A work permit support letter will be provided so you can apply to IRCC to obtain or renew a work permit to start or continue working in B.C. for your employer while you wait for the decision on your permanent residence application.
You are responsible for contact the BC PNP if there are any changes in your circumstance:
- Step 1: Log on to BCPNP Online and select My Dashboard
- Step 2: Select View on the applicable case
- Step 3: Select Post-Nomination Support
Stage 3: IRCC application
As a provincial nominee nominated under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program you must wait for IRCC to invite you to apply (called a “round”) via your MyCIC account.
Once you are invited to apply, you will get a message in your MyCIC account telling you about which federal program you are invited under and what to do next. They would also send you a personalized document checklist of the supporting documents you will need to upload with your application. If you are invited to apply for permanent residence, you may need to show proof of the information you provided to IRCC in your Express Entry profile.
You can check the Application Package in the link below to download the documents, see how to pay the fee and other instructions:
For information about the fee, see this following link:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp
IRCC may refuse your application if the information in your profile is different from what you submitted in your application for permanent residence.
You must update your MyCIC profile if is there a change in your (or that of your spouse or partner’s) immigration and/or employment status, qualifications, or any other relevant information, as indicated as a part of your Express Entry profile.
You will have 60 days to fill out your application for permanent residence and submit all supporting documents, as indicated on your Express Entry profile since the date the IRCC invite you.
Before the IRCC invites you to apply, in case your Express Entry profile expires, you must create a new one and inform the BC PNP.
Stage 4: Permanent Residence
If you are invited by the IRCC to apply for the permanent residence, make sure you submit any additional documents they require and be prepared for an interview if necessary. All applicants for permanent residency must have police certificates and pass the medical examination (You should not schedule medical examination prior without instructions and forms from IRCC request you to do so).
Must-have documents
Your application must have:
- Copy of Canadian immigration records (if applicable)
- Copy of biographical page of the passport
- Current photograph
- Copy of LMIA (if applicable)
- Copy of other education and/or training certificates*
- Official education transcripts
- Copy of Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) (if applicable)
- Current resume/C.V.
- Evidence of intent to reside in B.C.
*A letter from the post-secondary institution showing the completion of required courses if a certificate is not available
Non-English documents must be translated by a certified translation with photocopies of the originals. Documents must be stamped and certified by a person officially authorized to notarize documents as accurate translations
You can check the detailed requirements for the documents in this guideline, from page 58 to page 59:
Cost
You must submit the $700 application fee with your online application before your application will be processed. Incomplete applications will not be approved, and application fees will only be refunded if you withdraw your application before the BC PNP begins to assess it.
You may also be prepared to pay additional costs, includes: translating, language test, ECA, rights of permanent residence fee (if you are invited to apply by the IRCC),…
After you apply
The average processing time for categories in the Skills Immigration would normally around 2 -3 months. You can contact the BC PNP in writing by sending an email to the address PNPinfo@gov.bc.ca to withdraw your application and find out if you are eligible for a refund. Make sure in your email, you provide fully your full name, your date of birth, and your BC PNP application file number in your email request. Withdrawal requests submitted in-person or through voicemail will not be accepted.
For the applicant who gets a refusal, you can request a review of the decision within 30 days since being noticed about the decision. You must submit your written review request on the BC PNP online. The reasons for the request must be declared clearly in the review request and you should provide any information the BC PNP requires you. The review fee is $200 CAD and non-refundable.
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