Immigration

In Canada, responsibility for immigration is shared between the federal and provincial governments.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada maintains authority for the selection and admission of immigrants to Canada. We recommend you contact officials at the Canadian Embassy in your country. They will be best able to respond to your inquiries.

In British Columbia, the Immigration Division at the Ministry of Attorney General coordinates all other immigration matters.

Starting a new life is a challenge. It's important to do research about your new home and what skills you will need to find employment.

Before you immigrate to British Columbia, there are things you should know about the province's job market, credentials assessment and cost of living. Having a plan will help make your new life a success.

The British Columbia Immigration Checklist
Settling and working in British Columbia will be easier if you:

• can speak English fluently;
• have enough money to live until you find a job;
• research the different job opportunities that interest you and the regions where they are available;
• have copies of letters of reference, degrees, certificates and diplomas;
• have copies of letters that detail your work experience and their translations in English;
• are prepared to be examined about your qualifications;
• are prepared to apply for a license from a regulatory body if you work in a regulated occupation; and
• have a knowledge of workplace English.

Jobs in British Columbia
British Columbia has a growing economy, but you need to have the right skills in order to find a job that's right for you.

Even if you have valuable skills, your training and education needs to be recognized in British Columbia. Employers want to know what your qualifications mean in Canadian terms. Many occupations require licensing and that may mean being tested about your qualifications.

What Employers Want
Canadian employers say the following general skills and qualities are important when hiring a new employee:

• Work skills. Good general work skills means the ability to share ideas, make decisions, understand consequences, be accountable and be cooperative in the workplace.
• Language. In British Columbia, that means having the ability to fluently speak, read and write English.
• Working with computers. The fastest growing industry in Canada is information technology and almost every sector is being affected. Computer skills are a major advantage when looking for a job.

• Film and Tourism: performing and cultural arts, design, sports and recreation, production administration and management, production technologies, accommodation services, food services
• Technology and Communications: telecommunications, technical services, computer technologies, research and development, information services and data processing services
• Business Services: computer systems design, management, scientific and technical, business, finance and administration, entrepreneurial, hospitality industry
• Health, Welfare and Community Services: nursing and residential care, ambulatory health care services, social sciences, health and personal care services
• Goods Producing Sector including Agriculture, Utilities, Construction and Manufacturing: natural and applied sciences and technical trades, transportation and equipment support services, occupations related to utilities, food and beverage processing and manufacturing, aerospace industry.

Living in British Columbia
British Columbia can be an expensive and challenging place to live, especially in major centres like Vancouver. The job market is very competitive, so you will need to have enough money to live until you find employment in your chosen field. That can take months, so you may need to consider other job opportunities.

Here are some facts you need to know about finding a job and living in British Columbia:

• British Columbia is a very large province and different regions offer very different job opportunities.
• When budgeting, remember there will be deductions from your salary for income taxes, pension and employment insurance that will account for 25 to 35 per cent of your total income.
• Cost of living can be expensive and you may require more than one wage-earner to have the standard of living you want.
• Living expenses vary greatly between cities in British Columbia. The average house costs $147,800 in Vernon, while the same house would cost $289,000 in Vancouver.
• People without health insurance coverage are charged directly for medical services. New residents of British Columbia must wait three months to receive a provincial health card.
• Federal and provincial social programs have eligibility criteria and waiting periods.
• Your job skills might be transferable to other related jobs.

• British Columbia Statistics
• Government of British Columbia
• BC Work Info Net
• Human Resources Development Canada
• Government of Canada, Citizen and Immigration Canada
• Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials
• The Open Learning Agency, International Credential Evaluation Service
• Industry Training Authority
• Canadian Forum of Labour Market Ministers
• Work Futures
• Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia