EEBC – International Post-Graduate

About the program

British Columbia always welcomes talents, especially those have a master’s or doctoral degree in natural, applied or health sciences. Express Entry British Columbia – International Post-Graduate in the BC PNP program is a chance for post-graduate students to become permanent residences if they plan to live and contribute to B.C.

The program connects with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry so you can apply for permanent residency faster in compare to Skill Immigration – International Post-Graduate. In 2018, the BC PNP has nominated the application of 165 candidates through the EEBC – International Post-Graduate category.

Eligibility

The EEBC – International Post-Graduate category doesn’t require you to have a job offer as the rest in the EEBC so it would not have a requirement for a minimum income, skill experience or employer. Instead, the requirement for education will be narrowed to only post-graduate education. However, you still need to meet the minimum requirements in one of three federal economic programs and the general requirements for every category in the EEBC. Here is the list of total requirements you must meet:

1. Received an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC Express Entry system
2. Have a master’s or doctoral degree received within the past three years from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution in B.C.
3. Have the ability and plan to live in British Columbia
4. Be eligible to immigrate to Canada

1. Received an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC Express Entry system

You must pass one in three federal economic immigration programs through Express Entry System. These programs are listed below with highlights so you can make a comparison. You can click on the link to check its criteria in details: 

• Federal Skilled Worker Program: a point-grid program, the current pass mark is 67 points
  • Level of work experience: NOC skilled type 0, A or B.
  • Amount of work experience: 1 year continuous within the last 10 years.
  • Job offer: Not required but will add in more points if you have.
  • Language skill: English or Frech at least CLB 7
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
  • Level of work experience: skilled trade under key groups of NOC B
  • Amount of work experience: 2 years continuous within the last 5 years.
  • Job offer: A valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or
  • a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
  • Language skill: English or Frech at least CLB 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing
• Canadian Experience Class
  • Level of work experience: NOC skilled type 0, A or B.
  • Amount of work experience: 1 year working in Canada within the last 3 years.
  • Job offer: Not required
  • Language skill: English or Frech at least CLB 7 if your occupation in the NOC skilled type 0 or A, CLB 5 if your occupations in the NOC skilled type B

After the self-assessment in accordance with these program requirements, if you are eligible then create a profile and indicate that you are interested in settling in B.C.

Additionally, if you meet the language requirement for the federal program you choose then you have automatically met the language standards of the BC PNP

2. Have a master’s or doctoral degree received within the past three years from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution in B.C

British Columbia has a thriving economy with especially great potential in natural resources. For that reason, the EEBC – International Post-Graduate program will mostly focus on talents from B.C.-based post-secondary-institution who studies 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

You can see the list in this link to check whether your program and B.C institution is eligible. However, distance course learning programs will be unaccepted no matter you took the course from within Canada or abroad.

When you submit your official transcript, the date shown on your transcript must be less in than 3 years.

3. 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 for settlement. 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.

4. 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

Application process

The EEBC – International Post-Graduate is the only category that you don’t need to register but can submit the application directly through the Portal of BC PNP online. Your process can skip the registration step and waiting time for the invitation to apply. Since Skill Immigration Registration System is no longer counted in, the registration scoring will be not accountable for the category as well. For that reason, the whole process will be shortened then others into 5 steps:

• Stage 1: IRCC registration
• Stage 2: Application
• Stage 3: Decision
• Stage 4: IRCC application
• Stage 5: Permanent Residence

Here is what you need to pay attention to throughout the process

Stage 1: IRCC Registration

As a requirement, you would need to have an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code from the IRCC for one of those three federal economic immigration programs. After choosing a suitable program for yourself, you need to create a profile on the Express Entry System and enter all the information. Once you meet the criteria, an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code will be specifically assigned only to you.

When the IRCC invites you to apply before the BC PNP, make sure to decline it to receive a nomination from the BC PNP. If you do not decline the invitation from IRCC in Express Entry, your BC PNP application will be closed, and a refund will not be provided.

Stage 2: 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.

The incomplete application won’t be processed. 

Stage 3: 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

If you are nominated by the BC PNP, you will receive an additional 600 points in the federal Express Entry pool.

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 4: IRCC application

As a provincial nominee nominated under the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) stream, 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. 

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 5: 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 applicant 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)

Document checklist

Your application must have:

• Copy of Express Entry Candidacy from IRCC
• 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)
• Copy of Official Language Test Results
• 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

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),…

After you apply

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 BCPNP 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.