The International Graduate stream is a way for recent graduates with a degree or diploma from an eligible Canadian post-secondary institution to get permanent residence and stay in B.C.
Requirements to qualify for EE
- To use the EEBC option, you must have a valid IRCC Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code. These indicate that you meet the eligibility criteria for one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to IRCC’s Express Entry system.
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You must meet the minimum criteria for at least one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to IRCC’s Express Entry system:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
Language
If the Job Offer’s NOC code is of TEER Category 1, you do not need language results to be eligible (BCPNP can still ask you to pass a language test, at their own discretion). However, to claim points in the sub-factor of the SIRS, you need French or English language test results.
If the Job Offer’s NOC code is of TEER Category 2 or 3, you will need to have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 4 to be eligible.
Education in Canada
You must have obtained a degree, diploma, or certificate from an eligible postsecondary institution in Canada in the past three years. You must have completed 50% or more of your studies from within Canada.
Your education is not eligible if it is a distance education learning program either from abroad or
from within Canada. However, due to the impact of Covid-19, online coursework completed from
January 2020 to June 2023 as part of a BC PNP eligible program of study while residing in Canada
is eligible.
Educational credentials granted by campuses of Canadian institutions located outside of Canada
do not qualify.
- Degrees
Your undergraduate or graduate degree must be from a Canadian post-secondary institution
authorized to grant degrees.
- Diplomas and Certificates
Your diploma or certificate must be from a public post-secondary institution in Canada. Diplomas
and Certificates from private institutions are not eligible. Language training programs (e.g.
English as a Second Language (ESL), or English as a foreign language) do not qualify.
At a minimum, your program must have been 8 months (two semesters) of full-time equivalent coursework. Co-op work terms, practicums and internships will not count towards the 8-months of full-time equivalent coursework requirement.
- You must submit your registration to the BC PNP within three years of the date you graduated, as long as the date stated on your degree, diploma, or certificate is less than 12 months after you
completed your program of study.
Education Outside Canada
Your education is not eligible if it is a distance education learning program either from abroad or
from within Canada. However, due to the impact of Covid-19, online coursework completed from
January 2020 to June 2023 as part of a BC PNP eligible program of study while residing in Canada
is eligible.
Educational credentials granted by campuses of Canadian institutions located outside of Canada
do not qualify.
Job Offer
You must hold an offer of indeterminate, full-time employment from an eligible BC employer. The Job Offer must be in an NOC TEER Category 1, 2 or 3.
Your job offer does not need to be indeterminate if it is in an eligible tech occupation, or is in NOC 41200 (university professors and lecturers).
Your employer must provide you with a signed job offer on official company letterhead.
Wage or Salary
Your offered wage must be:
- At market rate for the occupation;
- Comparable to wages paid to Canadians and permanent residents with similar education, training, and experience;
- Consistent with the wage compensation structure of your employer.
The BC PNP will not consider bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing distributions,
tips/gratuities, overtime wages, housing allowances, room and board, or other similar
payments to be part of your wage.
Employer Eligibility
- Your employment must provide economic benefit to B.C.
- Your employer must be established, and have a physical presence, in B.C. For the purposes of the BC PNP, this means that your employer has an ongoing fixed place of business in B.C.
- Your employer must have one of the following business structures:
- incorporated in B.C. or extra-provincially registered in B.C.
- registered as a general, limited or limited liability partnership in B.C.
The BC PNP also accepts applications from the following public sector or non-profit organizations established in B.C.:
- provincial and regional health authorities and agencies
- public post-secondary education and training institutions
- public school districts
- private non-profit post-secondary institutions that are accredited by, or registered with, The Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC
- institutions supported by the Government of Canada or the Province of B.C. conducting research in natural and applied sciences, engineering, computer and information systems, or health sciences
- provincial/federal/municipal government organizations and agencies
- other non-profit groups registered as charitable organizations and/or incorporated under an applicable federal or provincial act
- Complete and Sign Employer Declaration Form
- Valid Business Licence
- Provide supporting Documents
- Your employer must have operated in B.C. for at least one year (two years if you are applying under the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS) stream).
- If your employer is located within the Metro Vancouver Regional District, your employer must have at least five indeterminate, full-time employees (or full-time equivalents) who are performing their work from within B.C.
- If your employer is located outside of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, your employer must have at least three indeterminate, full-time employees (or full-time equivalents) who are performing their work from within B.C.
- Follow laws and regulations
- Make Genuine Efforts to Recruit Locally
- Genuine Need for the Position
- The BC PNP will not approve applications from:
- employers involved in producing, distributing or selling pornographic or sexually explicit products, or providing sexually oriented entertainment or services
- employment agencies and similar placement firms unless you are directly employed by the agency and you are contributing directly to the employer’s primary line of business
- any other type of business – or activities of the business – that by association would tend to bring the BC PNP or the Government of British Columbia into disrepute
- At its sole discretion, the BC PNP may consider an application where the supporting employer does not meet the minimum requirements, including but not limited to:
- the company’s business structure, such as sole proprietorships
- the length of operation in B.C.
- the number of full-time employees working for the company
However, to be considered, the supporting employer must, at the time of application, make a compelling business case in writing to the BC PNP that demonstrates how the nomination will generate significant economic benefit to B.C.
Eligible NOC TEER Categories
NOC TEER 1, 2 and 3.
Intention to live in Province
You must demonstrate that you have the intent to live, work and economically establish in B.C
Legal Status in Canada
must be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
Additional Requirements
You must provide economic benefit to B.C. For example, your employment in B.C. will contribute
to:
- Maintaining or creating jobs for Canadians
- Transferring knowledge and skills to Canadians
- Supporting the development of proprietary new products
- Building the workforce for a major project
If nominated under the Express Entry category, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile
Funds
- You must demonstrate that you meet minimum income requirements according to your:
- (i) gross annual wage in the Job Offer,
- (ii) location of residence in BC, and
- (iii) number of dependants.
- You can include your spouse/partner’s gross annual wage if they work in BC.
- Bonuses, commissions, tips, housing allowance, etc. are not included when calculating your wage.
- The annual wage is calculated as: (hourly rate) x (hours worked per week (max 40h)) x (52 weeks a year).
- The minimum income requirements as set by BCPNP are presented in the table below: # of dependants
| Number of Dependents | Metro Vancouver Regional District (CAD) | Rest of British Columbia (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26,620 | 22,186 |
| 2 | 33,141 | 27,619 |
| 3 | 40,743 | 33,954 |
| 4 | 49,467 | 41,226 |
| 5 | 56,105 | 46,757 |
| 6 | 63,276 | 52,735 |
| 7 or more | 70,449 | 58,713 |
Ineligibility
NOC TEER 0 (management
occupations) is not eligible
under this stream
Application Period
As of November 16, 2022, processing times for an International Graduate stream application are estimated to be around 3 months. However, some applications may need more time to be processed if more complex or necessitate more documents and/or information.
Application Fee
fee for this stream is set at 1,150 CAD.
Application fees can only be refunded if the applicant withdraws his/her application before processing starts.
Submission of Application
- Qualify for the minimum IG stream eligibility requirements and register a profile in BCPNP Online.
- Obtain an invitation to apply directly in their BCPNP Online profile.
- Apply to the IG stream within 30 days of receiving the invitation to apply, by submitting their application through BCPNP Online (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Apply for Permanent Residence to the federal government (IRCC) within 6 months of receiving the nomination. Candidates need to apply on paper to IRCC, and include the nomination documents received from BCPNP.
Link to portal to submit application
Maximum points required
Maximum points available 200