The BC Provincial Nominee Program: How We Can Help

Through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), prospective immigrants to Canada can be invited to apply for immigration based on their work experience, and the potential economic benefit that they can offer to their province of choice. 

In BC, the PNP uses a scoring system that evaluates each application on the type of employment, the salary for the position and the applicant’s experience, education and language abilities.   

What is the Process of Applying for the BC PNP?

At Elgin Cannon & Associates, the first thing we do is meet with you and assess whether you meet the eligibility requirements for the BC PNP. If you’re applying on your own, you can register on the government of Canada website and fill in the fields to find out how many points you’ll receive. But this can be time-consuming and difficult if you’re not experienced with the process. 

We have our own tool that matches the points rubric on the government website, and allows us to easily plug in your information and find out if you’re eligible, without going through the entire registration process. 

To begin, we’ll ask you a few questions about your field of work, level of experience, and general suitability for the PNP. 

The number of points required for an invitation fluctuates depending on the employment needs of the province. If your score is not high enough to secure an invitation one month, it might be high enough in the future. If we believe that your score is high enough that it may qualify you a couple months down the road, then we might still suggest you apply. 

If we determine that your application is strong enough, then we’ll ask if you want to apply through the online registry as a skilled worker, international graduate or semi-skilled worker.

You may apply for the PNP via express entry, or through a paper application. Despite what the name may suggest, a paper application can also be submitted online – the difference is that there is a longer processing time. Express entry processing times are around 9 months, whereas a paper application can take 16-18 months to be processed. 

If your PNP application is successful, and you are issued a nomination certificate, we will then assist you in preparing your permanent residence application. Obtaining your nomination usually takes a few months, unless your PNP application is for one of the tech jobs that are given priority processing.

Whether the application is an online application through Express Entry or it is a paper/online application we will follow up with the application until its conclusion.  

High-Demand Occupations

As part of the PNP scoring system, certain occupations and types of occupations are given preferential treatment, because they are in high demand in BC, and offer significant economic benefit to the province. The list of preferred occupations can evolve over time with the changing economic and labour landscape.

The BC PNP guidelines set out a list of 31 tech positions that are given priority processing as of 2022. If you have the applicable skills, we may encourage you to apply with one of these positions in mind.

2022 High-demand tech positions include:

• Information systems analysts and consultants
• Database analysts and data administrators
• Software engineers and designers
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• Web designers and developers

The BC government is also currently seeking professionals in a select few occupations that are in high demand in the province. Currently, these positions are mostly in the medical field, and include occupations such as:

• Pharmacists
• Physiotherapists
• Psychologists
• Dental hygienists
• Licensed practical nurses
• Paramedics

If you’re in one of those positions, you’re more likely to receive an invitation to apply for immigration via the PNP.