BC PNP Program

Ryan N. Rosenberg: Immigration Law

Province’s choice
Provincial nominee programs offer a win-win-win immigration solution.

Like many other provinces, the province of B.C. is able to nominate specific immigrants to come to B.C. who will help fulfil the province’s unique economic and labour market needs. This federal-provincial program called the Provincial Nominee Program, or PNP for short, is operated jointly by the federal Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the provincial Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services (MCAWS)

Normally, the two stages in the immigration process — selection and clearance for medical and security purposes) — are handled by CIC (i.e., under federal immigration programs such as the federal skilled worker, family class and business class programs). Under the B.C. PNP, the province conducts the selection portion. If successful, CIC then processes the clearance portion and issues permanent resident visas.

B.C. PNP currently operates through two broad application categories: strategic occupations and business categories. The strategic occupations category is an employer-driven process and seeks to recruit skilled workers, healthcare professionals and international students to fill labour market shortages.

The business categories are investment driven. Depending on location, an applicant can present a business plan to the province for a new business that demonstrates an investment of $300,000 to $800,000, job creation and active management in the business. Alternatively, an existing company can assist foreign professionals and key managers to immigrate by presenting a business plan demonstrating a $1 million investment in business expansion that will create new jobs.

B.C. PNP has the capacity to select applications faster than CIC. In most cases, B.C. PNP can approve an application in less than one month and some applications are even processed in less than 10 days. Since 2001, B.C. PNP has nominated more than 1,015 applicants. When you factor in family members, the number grows significantly.

In return for selecting immigrants, CIC has committed to prioritizing PNP applications for clearance and visa issuance. Currently, CIC processes most PNP applications in less than one year, contrasted with the 46 months it takes to process a federal skilled worker application.
The federal programs are often perceived as having rigid rules, slow processing times and unsympathetic officers who, at times, render muddled decisions. Many observers also argue that the federal programs are out of touch with Canada’s economic needs, overly politicized and unsuccessful in addressing practical priorities. And then there’s B.C. PNP: flexible, open minded, rational and accommodating. Motivated to bolster the province’s economy, B.C. PNP is more concerned with substance over form and addresses real economic needs practically and efficiently.

All told, the B.C. PNP, and similar programs in other provinces, offers a win-win-win immigration solution. The province can attract immigrants key to its economic future, CIC unloads a significant portion of applications to the province that would other require assessment under one of its programs, and the prospective immigrant benefits from much faster processing times.

Currently, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia have active PNPs. If you or someone you know wants to immigrate to one of these provinces anyway, it’s worthwhile to check out if you qualify to apply through these provincial nominee programs.

Ryan N. Rosenberg, BA, LLB, is an immigration lawyer with Larlee & Associates. Email him at rnrosenberg@larlee.com or at 604-562-3925