Supporting B.C.’s Care Economy

Healthcare workers in select occupations and ECEs will be given priority access to apply, which provides a better chance for assessment under the program’s eligibility criteria.

Registrants whose occupation is on a pre-determined list of in-demand health occupations and ECEs, and who have a qualified, permanent job offer in B.C., will be given priority access to the BC PNP. The Health Authority category is open to any occupation.

Priority access is achieved through direct-to-apply categories, such as workers employed by a Health Authority, or targeted draws for qualified workers with a job offer as an ECE or in one of the in-demand occupations in healthcare. As registrants / applicants and employers must continue to meet all relevant program criteria.

Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)

In 2018, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) to provide complementary pathways to permanent residence for skilled refugees. The EMPP helps employers find skilled refugees for positions that can’t be filled domestically due to British Columbia’s labour shortages.

The pilot partners include IRCC, the Province of B.C. (BC PNP), United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and designated non-government organization partners (NGOs).

The BC PNP’s role

BCPNP is participating in Phase 2 of the EMPP. its role is to process registrations and applications from EMPP candidates. BCPNP is accepting registrations and applications from candidates with the skills and experience to qualify under BC PNP Tech’s key technology occupations. These occupations have strong labour market demand, high median salaries and quality employment.

The Province will initially target up to 50 EMPP skilled refugees who meet the program criteria and who are referred to the BC PNP by a designated NGO partner.

BC PNP Tech

BC PNP Tech target the international talents in tech occupations. This initiative gives in-demand foreign workers and international students a pathway to permanent residence. BCPNP conduct targeted tech-only draws to ensure that skilled tech applicants have priority access to the program.

EI Regional Polit

BC PNP introduced the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot in 2019. The pilot creates an innovative partnership between communities and the provincial government to attract, recruit, select and integrate foreign entrepreneurs.