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BRITISH COLUMBIA

PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM

SKILLS IMMIGRATION

AND

EXPRESS ENTRY BC

PROGRAM GUIDE

For more information, please contact:

The BC Provincial Nominee Program

450-605 Robson Street

Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5J

Canada

E-mail: pnpinfo@gov.bc.ca

Website: www.WelcomeBC.ca/PNP

BC PNP Program Guide | Updates to This Edition 4

Updates to This Edition

In an effort to clarify information presented in previous editions of the Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Program Guide, there have been updates made to the content of the guide.

The following list outlines the updates made to the Program Guide.

September 1, 2016

1. Minor edits for grammatical consistency and accuracy throughout

2. Page 7: Updated wording regarding employers completing the use of a representative form

3. Page 10, 15, 22, 33, 38, 44, 50: Added wording and link for further NOC information

4. Page 10, 33, 58, 69: Clarified wording regarding application fee refunds

5. Page 12, 13, 35, 36: Corrected “Metro Vancouver” to “Greater Vancouver Regional District”

6. Page 13, 35: Updated wording regarding the income threshold table; thresholds updated to

2015 LICO figures

7. Page 15, 38: Added wording regarding paid co-op work experience

8. Page 16, 19, 22, 27, 39, 44: Clarified wording regarding pay deductions

9. Page 18, 41: Clarified wording regarding physicians and specialist physicians in occupations list

10. Page 18, 42: Clarified wording regarding registration with the College of Midwives of BC

11. Page 24, 46: Updated wording regarding Statistics Canada and CIP determination; CIP codes

added to list of eligible programs of study

12. Page 26: Added wording and link for further NOC information and clarification regarding live-

in caregivers

13. Page 26: Added wording to clarify the application requirements for invited registrants who are

no longer authorized to work for the employer

14. Page 29: Updated wording regarding the eligibility of live-in caregivers in the Northeast

Development Region of B.C.

15. Page 30: Corrected Food and Beverage Servers NOC code from 6512 to 6513

16. Page 49: Corrected “Metro Vancouver” to “Greater Vancouver Regional District” and added

links to regional district map

17. Page 49: Clarified full-time work as a demonstration of recruitment requirements

BC PNP Program Guide | Updates to This Edition 5

18. Page 50: Added wording to clarify that advertisement requirements refer to both scenarios a)

and b)

19. Page 54: Clarified wording regarding submitting registrations

20. Page 55: Clarified wording regarding confirmation emails

21. Page 55: Added wording to clarify registration information changes

22. Page 55: Added wording regarding points total at time of application assessment

23. Page 57: New section added with further information about the National Occupation

Classification (NOC)

24. Page 58, 69: Clarified wording regarding application refusal scenarios

25. Page 59: Added wording to clarify bonus points eligibility for current employment

26. Page 60: Added wording to clarify annual and weekly wage calculations for the B.C. job offer

27. Page 63: Added and clarified wording across the directly related work experience section

28. Page 65: Added and clarified wording across the highest level of education section

29. Page 67: Clarified acceptable language tests

30. Page 68: Added wording to clarify confirmation emails and ranking

31. Page 70: Clarification regarding age of dependent children

32. Page 70: Edits regarding permanent resident visas

33. Page 70: Added wording regarding BC PNP support after file closures

34. Page 70: Updated wording regarding requests to review decisions

35. Page 72: Added wording regarding application withdrawals

36. Page 72: Updated wording regarding work permit support requests after nomination

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 1: The B.C. Provincial Nominee Program: Introduction 7

Using a Representative

You are not required to use a representative – such as an immigration consultant or lawyer – to register and/or apply to the BC PNP. The program is designed for you to be able to complete the process on your own.

The BC PNP assesses all applications equally, regardless of whether they were prepared with the assistance of a representative. Your application will not receive special attention, faster processing, or a more favourable outcome if it was submitted using the services of a representative.

Some people choose to use a representative to provide immigration advice or to assist with the process. If you pay someone to act as your representative, they must meet the requirements for authorized representatives stated below.

Paid representatives

If you are paying a third-party representative to help you prepare and/or submit your registration and/or application to the BC PNP, they must meet the following definition of an “authorized paid representative.”

Authorized paid representatives are:

 immigration consultants who are full members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council  lawyers who are members in good standing of the Law Society of BC or another law society in Canada and students-at-law under their supervision

Unpaid immigration third parties

You may use the services of an unpaid third party, such as a family member, friend, or a member of a non-governmental or religious organization, to act on your behalf.

The BC PNP only considers third party representatives as unpaid if they do not charge fees or receive any other compensation or benefit for providing immigration advice or related services.

Use of a representative form

If you are using an authorized paid representative or an unpaid representative, you must submit the following disclosure consent form for third party representatives:

 Use of a Representative form

If you are invited to apply and you are using a representative, your employer must also complete their own use of representative form, even if your employer is appointing the same representative.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 1: The B.C. Provincial Nominee Program: Introduction 8

Declaration and Consent

By completing the BC PNP’s use of a representative form, you, and your employer, where applicable, have authorized the individual named on the form (such as an immigration consultant, lawyer, friend or family member) to represent you and act on your behalf with the BC PNP. This may include representation throughout the registration, application and assessment processes, and communication with program staff as required, including disclosure of personal or confidential information to your representative.

The declaration in the online registration and application requires your consent and is the legal equivalent of your signature. As the registrant and/or applicant, you must ensure that you have read and understood the declaration.

BCPNP Online uses your personal email as the unique personal identifier for your profile. The email and contact information provided in your profile will be associated with the application in the system and will be used by BC PNP staff for communication of final decisions.

At its discretion, the BC PNP may contact you and/or your employer directly to request additional evidence or information to verify information in your registration and/or application, and to determine if you meet or continue to meet all program requirements.

You may only have one third-party representative for your profile at any given time. If you wish to change your representative during the BC PNP registration and/or application process, you (and if

applicable, your B.C. employer) must update the information in theMy Representative tab and submit

another use of a representative form allowing your representative to represent you and allowing the BC PNP to disclose information to them. Filing a new use of a representative form will automatically cancel any previously appointed representative.

Beware of immigration fraud

We encourage you to protect yourself from immigration fraud. Learn more about protecting yourself from fraud.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 10

Except where otherwise noted, the following are requirements in all categories of both the Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration streams:

 Your employer has offered, and you have accepted, indeterminate, full-time employment in an eligible occupation (Exception: Skills Immigration - International Post-Graduate and EEBC - International Post-Graduate).

 You must be qualified for the offered position. The BC PNP may refer to the National Occupational Classification (NOC), WorkBC or industry standards to determine the minimum qualifications for an occupation. For more information about the NOC and how it works, please visit this section.

 The wage you have been offered must be competitive with B.C. wage rates for the occupation. For more information, please refer to individual category requirements.

 For occupations classified under NOC Skill Levels B, C, and D occupations, you must demonstrate English or French language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark 2000 (CLB) level 4. If you are registering and/or applying with a job offer in a National Occupational Classification Skill Level 0 or A occupation, you are not required to submit valid language test results. However, at its discretion, the BC PNP may require valid language test results to determine whether you have the language proficiency to perform the duties of the position.

 You must demonstrate that you meet minimum income requirements. For more information, please see the minimum income requirements section.

 You must not have an ownership/equity stake of more than 10 percent in the B.C. company that has offered you employment.

 Your employment must provide economic benefit to B.C. For example, your employment 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

 Your employment must not adversely affect the settlement of a labour dispute, or the employment of anyone involved in any such dispute, or adversely impact training or employment opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

 If invited to apply, you must submit the $550 application fee with your online application before your application will be processed. Incomplete applications will not be approved, and application fees will only be refunded if you withdraw your application before the BC PNP begins to assess it. You may contact the BC PNP at PNPinfo@gov.bc.ca to withdraw your application and find out if you are eligible for a refund. Please provide your full name, your date of birth, and your BC PNP application file number in your email.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 11

 The BC PNP will not nominate you if you:

 are prohibited from entering Canada  have not been lawfully admitted in the country of current residence  are in Canada and are out of status o if your status has expired, and you cannot demonstrate you have applied for restoration of status within the 90-day eligibility period, you will be considered out of status  are working in Canada without authorization  have an unresolved refugee claim in Canada  are under a removal order in or outside of Canada

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 13

declared on your federal application for permanent residence to IRCC must match the number of dependants listed on your BC PNP application. The BC PNP must be informed of any changes to your family size throughout the BC PNP and IRCC permanent residence application process. Any changes to your dependant information may affect minimum income requirements. Failure to notify the BC PNP of any changes may result in a refusal of your application or withdrawal of your nomination.

Family Income Threshold by Area of Residence

Size of Family

Greater Vancouver Regional

District

Rest of B.C.

7 or more $58,591 $48,

The income thresholds in this table represent 90% of an amount calculated from the appropriate 2015 Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) figures set by Statistics Canada.

This table will be updated regularly to reflect the latest LICO figures.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 14

Language Requirements - Skills Immigration

While language test results may not be mandatory for the category under which you are registering, providing valid language test results may impact your registration score.

If you are registering and/or applying with a job offer in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level 0 or A occupation, you are not required to submit valid language test results. However, at its discretion, the BC PNP may require valid language test results to demonstrate that you have the language proficiency to perform the duties of the position.

If you are registering and/or applying with a job offer in a NOC Skill Level B, C or D occupation, you must submit valid language test results showing you have obtained a minimum score equal to or greater than a benchmark 4 under the Canadian Language Benchmark 2000 (CLB) in all four competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

A benchmark score of 4 is considered Basic Proficiency and means that you can:

 communicate basic needs and personal experience  follow, with considerable effort, simple formal and informal conversations  read a simple set of instructions in plain language  write short messages, postcards, notes or directions

The valid language test results must be from one of the following language proficiency tests administered by a designated testing agency:

 the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training  the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-General)  the Test d'évaluation de français (TEF)

Test results will be considered valid for the two years from the date of issuance. Test results must be valid at the time of registration AND application.

The following table shows the minimum scores required in each of the designated tests:

Minimum Language Test Scores Required

Listening Reading Writing Speaking

IELTS 4.5 3.5 4.0 4.

CELPIP 4 4 4 4

TEF 145 233 349 181

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 16

In addition, the offer of employment must include:

 your job title and duties  your rate of pay  your standard hours of work  that the position is indeterminate and full-time (at least an average of 30 hours a week, year- round)  any discretionary benefits in addition to those required by law (such as pension and medical plans, disability insurance, sick pay, accommodation and meal allowances, and extra paid vacations)  if the position is covered by a collective agreement, a reference to the agreement

Your employer cannot make any deductions from your pay (or require you to pay any fees) for recruitment or retention, or any fee that is normally paid by the employer. For more information, please visit Employment Standards Branch’s website.

The wage stated on your offer of employment must be at market rate and comparable to the rate paid to workers with a similar level of experience and training for equivalent jobs in B.C. and consistent with the wage compensation structure of your employer. For examples of market wage rates by occupation, please visit Job Bank.

You must be establishing an employee/employer relationship with your employer. If you will be providing services as an independent contractor you are not eligible for the Skills Immigration stream of the BC PNP.

If you were originally hired based on a positive federal Labour Market Impact Assessment, the wage you are earning at the time of registration and/or application must be equal to or greater than the wage stated in the offer of employment and on the Labour Market Impact Assessment.

Your employer must also meet program requirements.

3) evidence that you meet minimum income requirements

You must demonstrate that you are able to support yourself (and your dependants) according to your:

 annual wage in B.C.  location of residence in B.C.  number of dependants

Information about how the BC PNP assesses your minimum income requirements can be found here in this guide.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 17

4) language proficiency

If you are working in a Skill Level B occupation, you must submit valid language test results showing you have obtained a minimum score equal to or greater than a benchmark 4 under the Canadian Language Benchmark 2000 (CLB) in all four competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

If you are registering and/or applying with a job offer in a National Occupational Classification Skill Level 0 or A occupation, you are not required to submit valid language test results. However, at its discretion, the BC PNP may require valid language test results to demonstrate that you have the language proficiency to perform the duties of the position.

Test results will be considered valid for the two years from the date of issuance. Test results must be valid at the time of registration AND application.

Information about how we assess your language requirements can be found here in this guide. All requirements must be met at the time of registration and, if applicable, application.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 19

4) minimum two years of directly related full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience in the skilled occupation that has been offered to you, and, if applicable, the credentials and qualification requirements of the position

You must have a minimum of two years of directly related full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience.

If you are working in a regulated occupation that requires mandatory certification, licensing or registration you must demonstrate that you meet these requirements when you apply to the BC PNP.

5) a written offer of employment on official company letterhead from your employer

The letter must be:

 signed and dated by a person authorized to hire employees  signed and dated by you confirming that you accept the job offer

In addition, the offer of employment must include:

 your job title and duties  your rate of pay  your standard hours of work  that the position is indeterminate and full-time (at least an average of 30 hours a week, year- round)  any discretionary benefits in addition to those required by law (such as pension and medical plans, disability insurance, sick pay, accommodation and meal allowances, and extra paid vacations)  if the position is covered by a collective agreement, a reference to the agreement

Your employer cannot make any deductions from your pay (or require you to pay any fees) for recruitment or retention, or any fee that is normally paid by the employer. For more information, please visit Employment Standards Branch’s website.

The wage stated on your offer of employment must be at market rate and comparable to the rate paid to workers with a similar level of experience and training for equivalent jobs in B.C. and consistent with the wage compensation structure of your employer. For examples of market wage rates by occupation, please visit Job Bank.

You must be establishing an employee/employer relationship with your employer. If you will be providing services as an independent contractor you are not eligible for the Skills Immigration stream of the BC PNP. If you are a physician with a job offer from a public health authority, this criteria is deemed to have been met.

If you were originally hired based on a positive federal Labour Market Impact Assessment, the wage you are earning at the time of registration and/or application must be equal to or greater than the wage stated in the offer of employment and on the Labour Market Impact Assessment.

Your employer must also meet program requirements.

BC PNP Program Guide | Part 2: Program Requirements – Skills Immigration 20

6) evidence that you meet minimum income requirements

You must demonstrate that you are able to support yourself (and your dependants) according to your:

 annual wage in B.C.  location of residence in B.C.  number of dependants

Information about how the BC PNP assesses your minimum income requirements can be found here in this guide.

7) language proficiency

If you are working in a Skill Level B occupation, you must submit valid language test results showing you have obtained a minimum score equal to or greater than a benchmark 4 under the Canadian Language Benchmark 2000 (CLB) in all four competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

If you are registering and/or applying with a job offer in a National Occupational Classification Skill Level 0 or A occupation, you are not required to submit valid language test results. However, at its discretion, the BC PNP may require valid language test results to demonstrate that you have the language proficiency to perform the duties of the position.

Test results will be considered valid for the two years from the date of issuance. Test results must be valid at the time of registration AND application.

Information about how we assess your language requirements can be found here in this guide.

All requirements must be met at the time of application.