Immigration to British Columbia (Vancouver, Victoria, …)
British Columbia (BC) is located on the west coast of Canada. The capital of BC, Victoria and its largest city offer the mildest weather conditions in Canada. There is hardly any signs of harsh Canadian weather as we have heard of in the southern region of BC. Consequently, many immigrants prefer British Columbia as their destination. If you intend to immigrate to BC, you may select any Federal programs and then land or move to BC. You may alternatively choose one of the existing BC Provincial Nominee Programs (B.C. PNP).
The government of British Columbia currently accepts immigrants under the following categories [source]:
Skills Immigration Categories:
- Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker: Applicants who have at least two years of work experience and a qualifying job offer under certain categories among other conditions.
- Skills Immigration – Health Care Professionals: Applicants who are active in health care professions such as physicians, nurses, and midwives. Most of these applicants need to have a valid job offer from a BC employer among other conditions.
- Skills Immigration – International Graduate: Applicants who are graduated from a Canadian university in the past two years and have a job offer from a BC employer. They also need to meet other conditions.
- Skills Immigration – International Post-Graduate: Applicants who are graduated with a master’s or doctoral degree program in BC under certain fields. Other conditions apply.
- Skills Immigration – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (including employment in Northeast Development Region): Many conditions apply to this group. For example, the applicant may need to work at least nine consecutive months for a BC employer before applying under this stream.
Express Entry Options
If you apply under the Federal Express Entry programs, you may contact BC and ask to be selected by them. The BC government currently accepts applicants who fall under one of the following subcategories:
- Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker
- Express Entry BC – Health Care Professional
- Express Entry BC – International Graduate
- Express Entry BC – International Post-Graduate
<<Planning to work in British Columbia? Consider the BC PNP Tech pilot Project>>
Entrepreneur Immigration Stream
Those applicants who have some background in managing a business may apply under this category. The basic conditions for this stream include:
- Business management or ownership experience (more than three or four years in the past ten years depending on whether you are the owner of the business or not)
- Personal net asset of $600,000 or more
- Willingness to invest $200,000 or more in BC businesses. Many conditions apply.
There are many other conditions that apply to this group. If approved, this group enter Canada with a Work Permit. They start their business and if they meet certain conditions they may apply to become permanent residents of Canada.
If you are interested in immigration to British Columbia fill out our free assessment form and we’ll see if you qualify for any of these categories. You may also book an appointment for official immigration advice.
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- How to move to Canada? General Info
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Disclaimer:
“This article provides information of a general nature only. It may no longer be current. It does not provide legal advice nor should it be relied upon. If you have specific legal questions you should consult a lawyer. If you are looking for official immigration advice contact us.”
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If you wish to visit or move to Canada, please fill out our free assessment form. We will review it for free, but we will contact you only if we find an opportunity for you. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session. Consultation sessions are not free, but you will receive formal advice from a licenced practitioner.
Al Parsai, MA, DTM, RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Author – 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada
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