All You Need To Know To Immigrate To The Canadian Province Of British Columbia

Immigration to British Columbia is on track to break last year’s record and welcome 70,305 new permanent residents by the end of this year – aided, at least in part, by the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot (AFIP) and expansion of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).

In the first eight months of this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data reveals the westernmost province in Canada welcomed 46,870 new permanent residents, an average of 5,879 per month.

Based on that trend, immigration to British Columbia could close off the year up 1.2 per cent, or 835 new permanent residents, from its record-breaking 69,470 new permanent residents last year. 

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During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, immigration plummeted by 45.9 per cent across the country as public health restrictions and closed borders played havoc with international travel. 

British Columbia was not immune to that precipitous drop in immigration. In 2020, the number of new permanent residents to the province fell by 21,755, or 43.3 per cent compared to the previous year.

Then, last year, British Columbia immigration roared back to life, hitting a record 69,470 new permanent residents, a jump of 144 per cent. 

That put the province back on track with the long-term trend of gradually-increasing immigration. 

In 2015, British Columbia welcomed 35,720 new permanent residents. The following year, that increased by 6.6 per cent, or 2,365 new permanent residents, and then nudged up again by one per cent in 2017 to hit 38,465 new permanent residents that year.

The following year saw another spike in immigration, an increase of 16.6 per cent, or 6,390 new permanent residents as the province welcomed 44,855 newcomers. 

In the last full year before the pandemic, British Columbians opened their arms to 50,230 new permanent residents. 

Many Programs Show Rise In Numbers But The CEC Is Down

Immigration patterns this year are similar to those in 2021 with a few notable exceptions and generally higher numbers across most programs.

Last year, the AFIP was only able to welcome 75 new permanent residents for the entire year. In 2022, that still-new pilot is on track to welcome almost eight times as many new permanent residents, 592.

The RNIP, which was expanded earlier this year to allow communities to participate for a longer period and also made easier to access with a drop in the required settlement funds, is also showing massive growth in British Columbia this year.

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Last year, 125 new permanent residents settled in British Columbia through the RNIP. This year, the projected figure is almost four times as high at 472 new permanent residents based on the current trend.

Family sponsorship program are also showing a surge in popularity and set to hit a record 18,067 new permanent residents by the end of this year, an increase of 26.4 per cent over the 14,295 who came to the province under those programs last year. 

Refugees Programs Are Welcoming Almost A Third More Newcomers This Year In B.C.

The number of refugees arriving to British Columbia is also notably higher this year with the province on track to welcome 6,690 this year, up 29.3 per cent over last year’s 5,175.

Also showing growth in popularity this year are the Start-Up Visa (SUV), the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), and Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program.

Those gains, though, are offset by a massive drop in the number of new permanent residents to the province through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. Last year, it helped 29,520 new permanent residents come to British Columbia. This year, the CEC figures are on track for an almost 69.1 per cent drop. 

There are many ways for foreign nationals to immigrate to the province, including the now three-year old British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Pilot whose goal is to immigrant entrepreneurs to smaller regional centres in the province.

Under the BC PNP EI Regional Pilot, foreign entrepreneurs interested in starting a new business in a smaller community can qualify if they:

• establish an eligible new business aligned with the priorities of the referring community;
• show business and/or management experience;
• have a personal net worth of at least $300,000;
• make an eligible personal investment of at least $100,000 in the business;
• create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• demonstrate a minimum language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4;
• have, or are eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada, and;
• have been lawfully admitted in the country where they currently live.

The original, two-year pilot has been extended through to March 31, 2024, to help communities welcome new entrepreneurs to their regions.

In partnership with the IRCC, British Columbia operates its PNP as a two-stage process with three major categories of programs.

Under the two-stage process, applicants seek to be nominated by the provincial government, and then, if nominated, they can apply for permanent residence to the federal government.

BC PNP Split Into Three Categories: Skills Immigration, Express Entry BC, And Entrepreneur Immigration

The three major categories for immigration under the PNP are: Skills Immigration; Express Entry BC, and; Entrepreneur Immigration. Each category has its own streams.

The Skills Immigration category targets skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in BC and is further divided into five components:

• skilled workers;
• healthcare professionals;
• international graduates;
• international post-graduates, and;
• entry-level and semi-skilled workers.

The Express Entry streams, through periodic draws, enable the province to nominate qualified candidates for admission to Canada under the federal Express Entry immigration system, including:

• skilled workers;
• healthcare professionals;
• international graduates, and;
• international post-graduates.

The Entrepreneur category is aimed at high net worth individuals who wish to invest and operate a business in British Columbia and eventually settle in the province. It has the following three streams:

• entrepreneur stream;
• entrepreneur – regional pilot, and;
• strategic projects.

The province also has its BC PNP Tech program which allows British Columbia immigration officials to expedite the processing of immigration candidates for in-demand technology occupations.

Through weekly draws, invitations are issued to candidates with work experience in one of 29 eligible occupations in the BC technology sector.

BC PNP Tech prioritizes technology sector applications under existing BC immigration streams. 

Candidates must still meet the basic requirements of an applicable British Columbia immigration category or stream, including a minimum one-year job offer from an employer in the province.

Eligible categories under the BC PNP Tech program include:

• skilled workers;
• healthcare professionals;
• international graduates;
• international post-graduates, and;
• entry-level and semi-skilled workers.

The BC PNP estimates a processing time of three months for nomination applications under Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC.

For applications under Entrepreneur Immigration, the BC PNP estimates a six-week processing time from the date of registration, for the Registration Score Notification stage. There is a four-month processing time from the date of receipt of the complete application to the time of notification of the decision.

Processing Time For Express Entry Streams Is Currently 15 Months

At the federal level, IRCC currently processes provincial non-Express Entry nominee applications 23 months. For the Express Entry streams, the general average of 15 months applies.

The province’s immigration department itself publishes a list of the 105 most in-demand occupations based on their National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes under five categories.

The job categories are:

• high demand occupations in management usually requiring a combination of education and work experience;
• high demand occupations usually requiring bachelor’s, graduate or first professional degree;
• high demand occupations usually requiring diploma, certificate or apprenticeship training;
• high demand occupations usually requiring high school and/or occupation specific training, and;
• high demand health occupations.

Here are those occupations:

High Demand Occupations in Management Usually Requiring a Combination of Education and Work Experience

High Demand Occupations Usually Requiring Bachelor’s, Graduate or First Professional Degree

High Demand Occupations Usually Requiring Diploma, Certificate or Apprenticeship Training

High Demand Occupations Usually Requiring High School and/or Occupation Specific Training

High Demand Health Occupations