British Columbia's Provincial Nominee Program

Requirements for Strategic Occupations

The key factors considered in assessing applications in the Strategic Occupations component of the BC PNP are:

• The occupation in which the nominee candidate will be employed
• The current demand and outlook for the occupation
• The wage for the position
• The nominee candidate’s qualifications
• The offer of employment
• The employer’s history and operations
• The economic benefits to BC of employing the nominee candidate
• The nominee candidate’s ability to become economically established in BC

Occupation

The BC PNP will generally only consider applications to fill skilled positions that fall into Skill Levels O, A and B of the National Occupational Classification Matrix. These positions normally require formal post-secondary qualifications and several years of directly related work experience. For more details on eligibility, refer to the Skilled Workers section.

International Graduates do not require work experience

The BC PNP uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) to classify jobs according to the duties, formal qualifications and experience specified by the employer.

The NOC helps determine whether the job meets the skill levels established for Strategic Occupations, and whether the nominee candidate’s qualifications and experience match the requirements of the job. The NOC is also used to identify relevant information on wage rates and labour availability for the occupation.

Demand and Outlook for the Occupation

The BC PNP considers employers’ applications to hire skilled foreign workers in relation to the current demand and future outlook for specific occupations. In making this assessment, any unique or highly specialized skill requirements for particular jobs are taken into account.

If there is a current surplus of workers domestically, or if future prospects for employment in the occupation are poor, a successful application is unlikely.

To assess the demand for particular skilled occupations, the BC PNP consults labour market information from Services Canada/HRSDC, Statistics Canada, the Ministry of Economic Development, and industry organizations.

The outlook for future employment in particular occupations is based on information from the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS), national sector councils, Statistics Canada, and other sources.

Employers will need to indicate the duration of unfilled vacancies and their recruitment efforts in BC. This requirement does not apply to the hiring of International Graduates

Wage

The wage an employer intends to pay the nominee candidate must be comparable to that for equivalent jobs in BC.

Bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing distributions, or similar payments to the employee are not considered as part of the wage.

The BC PNP uses information from published and unpublished surveys, industry and professional associations, and Services Canada/HRSDC to compare wages. Company size, geographic location, skill and experience levels are considered in assessing wage rates.

Qualifications

The nominee candidate must be qualified for the job that the employer is looking to fill. Program staff will review the candidate’s qualifications and experience to confirm that employment requirements are met.

The employer is responsible for determining whether the position to be filled is a regulated occupation that requires mandatory certification, licensing or registration. If this is the case, evidence must be provided in the application that the candidate meets, or is able to meet, these requirements.

Work Destinations provides comprehensive information on regulated occupations in Canada and BC.

Offer of Employment

Employers must provide a written offer of employment to nominee candidates.

The offer must state:

• the job title and duties
• the rate of pay
• the employee’s standard hours of work
• the position is permanent and full-time (a normal probationary period of employment may be specified).

A permanent job has no pre-determined end date. Full time employment means that the employee is expected to work year round and, on average, at least 30 hours a week.

The employer and the nominee candidate must be establishing an employer-employee relationship: applications will not be accepted for individuals hired under a contract for service (independent contractor agreement).

If the job will provide benefits that exceed statutory minimums required by applicable employment standards legislation, these should be noted in the offer (for example, pension and medical plans, disability insurance, sick pay, and extra paid vacations).

If the position is covered by a collective agreement, this agreement should be referenced.

The written offer must be on official company letterhead and addressed to the nominee candidate. The offer must be signed and dated by a person authorized to hire employees, and also by the candidate, to indicate his or her acceptance.

Employer’s History and Operations

Private sector employers applying to the BC PNP must meet the following requirements:

• The employer must be incorporated, extra-provincially registered, or registered as a limited liability partnership in BC
• The employer must have a permanent establishment in BC (“permanent establishment” has the meaning contained in the Income Tax Act, Canada)
• The employer must have been in operation in BC for at least one year and must have at least five permanent, full-time employees in BC. The BC PNP may consider applications that do not meet these minimum requirements if an employer has substantial business operations outside of BC, or can present a compelling business case, and provided that the employer has received prior approval from the BC PNP to submit an application.
• The employer’s business must be financially sound and have a history of good workplace and business practices, including compliance with employment, immigration, health, and safety laws and regulations
• Private for-profit post-secondary institutions must either offer degree programs as part of the BC Transfer System, or be accredited by, or registered, with the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC

Employers will be required to provide information indicating that they meet the above requirements. Employers who have applied successfully to the BC PNP within the past 12 months, and have a satisfactory record of retaining provincial nominees, normally will not need to provide this information for new applications

Employment agencies and similar placement firms cannot use the BC PNP unless they are establishing an employer–employee relationship with nominee candidates

Individuals who own more than 10 per cent of the equity of a BC business, or effectively control that business, cannot apply to be nominated as an employee of that business through the Strategic Occupations component of the BC PNP

The BC PNP does not accept applications from employers involved in the production, distribution, or sale of pornographic or sexually-explicit products, or in the provision of sexually-oriented entertainment or services.

Public Sector and Non-Profit Employers:
The BC PNP accepts applications from the following types of public sector and non-profit organizations with a permanent establishment in BC:

• Provincial and regional health care authorities and agencies
• Public post-secondary education and training institutions
• Private non-profit post-secondary institutions that offer degree programs as part of the BC Transfer System or accredited by, or registered, with the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC
• Institutions supported by the Government of Canada or the Province of BC conducting research in the natural and applied sciences, engineering, computer and information systems, or health sciences.

Economic Benefits to BC

The hiring of foreign workers through the program is expected to demonstrate significant economic benefits to BC, such as:

• Filling a critical skill need
• Creating or maintaining employment
• Transferring skills and knowledge to Canadians
• Accelerating the adoption of new technologies
• Developing new products, technologies, services or markets.

The BC PNP will only approve nominee candidates who are likely to contribute long-term net economic benefits to BC, and normally will not approve individuals who are over 55 years of age.

Ability to become economically established in BC

The potential for nominee candidates to become economically established in BC will be assessed according to their income and employment prospects, number of dependents, English language ability, and connections to BC or Canada through work, study, residence, and family ties.

The BC PNP will not accept applications to nominate individuals who have an unresolved refugee claim in Canada, are in Canada illegally, are under a removal order in Canada, or are prohibited from entering Canada

The BC PNP will not approve an application if it appears likely that a nominee candidate’s family income (based on the candidate’s job offer and any spousal job offer) will be below Statistics Canada’s applicable Low Income Cut-Off