The Provincial Nominees Program (PNP) provides a pathway to permanent residency for the selected applicants through a bilateral agreement between the provinces/territories and the federal government. Under the PNP, provinces/territories are able to select immigrants who can contribute to the economy of the region while the federal government still holds the power to admit immigrants. Hence, PNP applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for both level of governments.
Each province/territory has its own streams and offers the Express Entry channel. For example, British Columbia’s PNP offers 3 major streams to become a PR in B.C. and each steam contains different categories you can apply under, depending on your National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level, job, or international student status:
1. Skills Immigration (SI stream)
for skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupation AND for international graduates/post-graduates
the Tech Pilot Program is newly introduced in recent years which provides a priority processing for tech applications
paper-based application
Processing time for PR application: 18 months (not including nomination phase)
2. Express Entry BC (EE stream)
a faster way for eligible skilled workers
online application
Processing time for PR application: about 6 months (not including nomination phase)
3. Entrepreneur Immigration (EI stream)
for experienced entrepreneurs who wants to set up a new business or purchase an existing one in BC.
these candidates must have the required personal and investment funds.
Processing time for PR application: about 6 months
the processing time for the EI stream is lengthy because applicants need to work in Canada on a valid work permit for a certain period of time before they can submit a PR application. Hence, the complete application processing time is about 29 to 31 months including work permit, investment and PR application phases.
Let us help
If you need any help with your PNP applications, you are more than welcome to fill out the assessment form and book a free consultation session with one of our RCICs. We are here to help and support you throughout your journey.
Comments