VICTORIA – The Province is creating clearer pathways for international workers coming to B.C., making it harder for predatory recruiters and other bad actors to take advantage of people.

To do this, the Province is updating the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) selection criteria to better reflect the level of education, experience and language skills that set people up for career success in British Columbia. These updates will lead to better outcomes for people and help them understand what is required to be nominated for permanent residency in Canada through the BC PNP.

The BC PNP is one of several pathways available to newcomers who want to build a good life in British Columbia. It is the Province’s only tool for directly selecting immigrants for permanent residency. The program helps identify people who will strengthen B.C.’s economy and prioritizes workers in health care, construction, early childhood education and other in-demand jobs.

The BC PNP is competitive, but some recruiters misrepresent it as an easy pathway to permanent residency. These updates will give people a better understanding of the education, experience and language skills that they need to be considered for nomination.

The program updates align with new measures to protect international students from predatory institutions and recruiters, such as:

• a new three-stream structure for graduates of bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs;
• increased language requirements for most streams; and
• continued prioritization for people who work in-demand jobs and bring economic benefit to B.C.

Learn More:

For more information about the updated criteria, visit: https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/News

For more information about new measures to protect international students, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PSFS0002-000094