Last Updated on November 19, 2021
Immigration is booming in British Columbia – with the province poised to welcome more new permanent residents by the end of the year than it did in the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Despite the public health restrictions that impeded international travel for much of this year, the West Coast province received 45,990 new permanent residents in the first nine months of this year, already up more than 61.4 per cent over the 28,490 for all of 2020.
At the current rate of immigration to British Columbia, the province could hit 61,320 new permanent residents this year, up almost 22.1 per cent from the 50,230 new permanent residents in 2019, the last full year before COVID-19 was first detected in Canada.
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This year’s higher immigration level is more in keeping with the long-term trend in British Columbia.
Growing by slightly more than 6.5 per cent from 35,735 new permanent residents in 2015 to 38,075 the following year, British Columbia immigration nudged up a few hundred permanent residents in 2017 to 38,445.
The following year, immigration spiked up a further 16.7 per cent to hit 44,870 new permanent residents and then rose another 11.9 per cent in 2019.
That was the year the province launched its British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Pilot to attract immigrant entrepreneurs to smaller regional centres in the province.
It seems to be working.
“Over the past two years, the pilot has demonstrated its ability to attract entrepreneurs from around the world and to contribute to regional economic development needs, despite the impacts of COVID-19,” British Columbia immigration has claimed in a statement.
Although the pandemic closed borders and put a damper on air travel, British Columbia was still able to welcome 300 new permanent residents under its business class of economic immigration programs from the start of last year to the end of August this year, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals.
Under the BC PNP EI Regional Pilot, foreign entrepreneurs interested in starting a new business in a smaller community can qualify if they:
- establish an eligible new business aligned with the priorities of the referring community;
- show business and/or management experience;
- have a personal net worth of at least $300,000;
- make an eligible personal investment of at least $100,000 in the business;
- create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- demonstrate a minimum language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4;
- have, or are eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada, and;
- have been lawfully admitted in the country where they currently live.
Entrepreneur Immigration Extended For Three Years
The original, two-year pilot was extended in late March this year for another three years, until March 31, 2024, to help communities welcome new entrepreneurs to their regions, and be well-positioned to support economic recovery post-pandemic.
As 2021 comes to an end, so too is the last wave of COVID-19 in British Columbia.
That means the province’s economy is picking back up. In mid-November, the Indeed.ca job website had more than 76,000 positions up for grabs in British Columbia, with roughly 22,000 of these having been posted within the previous two weeks.
In partnership with the IRCC, British Columbia operates its PNP as a two-stage process with three major categories of programs.
Immigration Under BC PNP A Two-Stage Process
Under the two-stage process, applicants seek to be nominated by the provincial government, and then, if nominated, they can apply for permanent residence to the federal government.
The three major categories for immigration under the PNP are: Skills Immigration; Express Entry BC, and; Entrepreneur Immigration. Each category has its own streams.
The Skills Immigration category targets skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in BC and is further divided into five components:
- Skilled Workers;
- Healthcare Professionals;
- International Graduates;
- International Post-Graduates, and;
- Entry-level and semi-skilled workers.
The Express Entry streams, through periodic draws, enable the province to nominate qualified candidates for admission to Canada under the federal Express Entry immigration system, including:
- Skilled workers;
- Healthcare Professionals;
- International Graduates, and;
- International Post-Graduates.
The Entrepreneur category is aimed at high net worth individuals who wish to invest and operate a business in British Columbia and eventually settle in the province. It has the following three streams:
- Entrepreneur Stream;
- Entrepreneur – Regional Pilot, and;
- Strategic Projects.
The province also has its BC PNP Tech program which allows British Columbia immigration officials to expedite the processing of immigration candidates for in-demand technology occupations.
BC PNP Tech Targets Candidates Applying For 29 Occupations
Through weekly draws, invitations are issued to candidates with work experience in one of 29 eligible occupations in the BC technology sector.
BC PNP Tech prioritizes technology sector applications under existing BC immigration streams. Candidates must still meet the basic requirements of an applicable British Columbia immigration category or stream, including a minimum one-year job offer from an employer in the province.
Eligible categories under the BC PNP Tech program include:
- Skilled Workers;
- Healthcare Professionals;
- International Graduates;
- International Post-Graduates, and;
- Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Workers.
The BC PNP estimates a processing time of two to three months for nomination applications under Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC.
For applications under Entrepreneur Immigration, the BC PNP estimates a six-week processing time from the date of registration, for the Registration Score Notification stage. Another four-week processing time must be calculated from the date of submission of supplication until the decision notification (at the work permit stage).
At the federal level, IRCC currently processes provincial non-Express Entry nominee applications within 15 to 19 months. For the Express Entry streams, the general average of six months applies.
The province’s immigration department itself publishes a list of the 105 most in-demand occupations based on their National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes under five categories.
The job categories are:
- high demand occupations in management usually requiring a combination of education and work experience;
- high demand occupations usually requiring bachelor’s, graduate or first professional degree;
- high demand occupations usually requiring diploma, certificate or apprenticeship training;
- high demand occupations usually requiring high school and/or occupation specific training, and;
- high demand health occupations.
Here are those occupations:
High Demand Occupations in Management Usually Requiring a Combination of Education and Work Experience
NOC code |
Occupation Title |
0012 |
Senior government managers and officials |
0013 |
Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services |
0014 |
Senior managers – health, education, social and community services and membership organizations |
0015 |
Senior managers – trade, broadcasting and other services |
0016 |
Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities |
0111 |
Financial managers |
0112 |
Human resources managers |
0113 |
Purchasing managers |
0114 |
Other administrative services managers |
0121 |
Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers |
0122 |
Banking, credit and other investment managers |
0124 |
Advertising, marketing and public relations managers |
0125 |
Other business services managers |
0211 |
Engineering managers |
0212 |
Architecture and science managers |
0213 |
Computer and information systems managers |
0412 |
Government managers – economic analysis, policy development and program administration |
0414 |
Other managers in public administration |
0421 |
Administrators – post-secondary education and vocational training |
0422 |
School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education |
0423 |
Managers in social, community and correctional services |
0512 |
Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts |
0513 |
Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors |
0601 |
Corporate sales managers |
0621 |
Retail and wholesale trade managers |
0631 |
Restaurant and food service managers |
0632 |
Accommodation service managers |
0651 |
Managers in customer and personal services |
0712 |
Home building and renovation managers |
0714 |
Facility operation and maintenance managers |
0731 |
Managers in transportation |
0821 |
Managers in agriculture |
0912 |
Utilities managers |
High Demand Occupations Usually Requiring Bachelor’s, Graduate or First Professional Degree
NOC Code |
Occupation Title |
1111 |
Financial auditors and accountants |
1112 |
Financial and investment analysts |
1113 |
Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers |
1114 |
Other financial officers |
1121 |
Human resources professionals |
1122 |
Professional occupations in business management consulting |
1123 |
Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations |
2131 |
Civil engineers |
2147 |
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
2151 |
Architects |
2171 |
Information systems analysts and consultants |
2173 |
Software engineers and designers |
2174 |
Computer programmers and interactive media developers |
2175 |
Web designers and developers |
4011 |
University professors and lecturers |
4021 |
College and other vocational instructors |
4032 |
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
4112 |
Lawyers |
4151 |
Psychologists |
4152 |
Social workers |
4153 |
Family, marriage and other related counselors |
4161 |
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
4163 |
Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants |
4165 |
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
5121 |
Authors and writers |
5131 |
Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations |
High Demand Occupations Usually Requiring Diploma, Certificate or Apprenticeship Training
NOC Code |
Occupation Title |
1212 |
Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers |
1215 |
Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations |
1221 |
Administrative officers |
1222 |
Executive assistants |
1223 |
Human resources and recruitment officers |
1224 |
Property administrators |
1241 |
Administrative assistants |
1242 |
Legal administrative assistants |
1243 |
Medical administrative assistants |
1311 |
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers |
1312 |
Insurance adjusters and claims examiners |
1315 |
Customs, ship and other brokers |
2242 |
Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment) |
2271 |
Airline pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors |
2281 |
Computer network technicians |
2282 |
User support technicians |
4211 |
Paralegal and related occupations |
4212 |
Social and community service workers |
4214 |
Early childhood educators and assistants |
4311 |
Police officers (except commissioned) |
4312 |
Firefighters |
4313 |
Non-commissioned ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces |
5221 |
Photographers |
5241 |
Graphic designers and illustrators |
5254 |
Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness |
6211 |
Retail sales supervisors |
6221 |
Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade |
6231 |
Insurance agents and brokers |
6232 |
Real estate agents and salespersons |
6235 |
Financial sales representatives |
6341 |
Hairstylists and barbers |
7315 |
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
7321 |
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
High Demand Occupations Usually Requiring High School and/or Occupation Specific Training
NOC Code |
Occupation Title |
1414 |
Receptionists |
1511 |
Mail, postal and related workers |
1512 |
Letter carriers |
1513 |
Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors |
4411 |
Home childcare providers |
4412 |
Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
6513 |
Food and beverage servers |
7513 |
Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
High Demand Health Occupations
NOC Code |
Occupation Title |
3012 |
Specialty registered nurses |
3111 |
Geriatricians |
3111 |
Psychiatrists |
3111 |
Dermatologists |
3112 |
Family physicians |
3124 |
Nurse Practitioners |
3142 |
Physiotherapists |
3143 |
Occupational therapists |
3214 |
Perfusionists |
3216 |
Sonographers |
3233 |
Licensed practical nurses |
3234 |
Paramedics |
3413 |
Health care assistants |