British Columbia provincial Immigration Program
STRATEGIC OCCUPATIONS
There are four sub-categories of British Columbia’s this category of provincial immigration program. Applicants can apply for permanent immigration visa under any of the compatible sub-categories depending upon their eligibility. In addition to specific requirements, there are general requirements that applicants in all the categories of this provincial immigration program require to meet.
Basic Requirements
• The applicant must intend to settle in British Columbia.
• The applicant must have the ability to be economically established in British Columbia.
• In case the applicant is currently in Canada, he/she must keep valid immigration status during the whole process and must not be under removal order.
• The applicant should not be a pending refugee claimant.
• In case the applicant is currently outside Canada, he/she must not be inadmissible to Canada and must have a valid status in the country of current residence.
• There must be a valid offer in an eligible occupation from a British Columbia employer that has been accepted by the applicant.
• The applicant must be qualified to do the job
• The wage offered to the applicant must be according to prevailing wage rates for the subject occupation in British Columbia
• The employer must have been operating in British Columbia for more than one year and is in compliance with relevant regulations and must have at least five full time employees and must be financially sound.
• The province will derive a significant economic benefit from the applicant’s employment and any settlement of a labour dispute or parties to the dispute should not be adversely affected.
Following is an outline of four sub-categories under this main category of Manitoba’s provincial immigration program to facilitate the issuance of permanent immigration visa to foreign workers:
1. Skilled Workers
Occupations that fall under Skills Levels 0, A and B of National Occupational Classification that include managers, professionals, technologists and technicians, skilled trades.
2. International Graduates
Graduates that have completed a post secondary degree or diploma within last two years from recognized Canadian post-secondary institutions. It is not essential under this option of provincial immigration program to have any prior work experience in order to apply for Canadian permanent immigration visa.
3. International Post-Graduates Pilot Project
This is a three years pilot project that would end on 28th May 2013. Under this sub-category of provincial immigration program, fresh graduates successfully completing their Masters and Doctorates in natural, applied and health sciences can apply for Canadian permanent immigration visa.
4. Designated Health Professionals
This sub-category of provincial immigration program offers a facilitated process to foreign nationals who are physicians, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and midwives that meet the program’s requirements and have been recruited by provincial and regional authorities administered through Health Match British Columbia. Below is an outline of specific requirements for every profession under the head:
Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses
It is essential to apply under this category of provincial immigration program that applicants should be either registered or eligible for registration with the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia in Case of Registered Nurses or the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia in case of Registered Psychiatric Nurses.
Physicians
To be a physician applicant, the candidate must have practiced in British Columbia as a foreign worker for a minimum of nine months and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia affirms in writing that a supervising physician has given the applicant a positive assessment.
Midwives
Midwives should be eligible for registration with the College of Midwives of British Columbia and have a Letter of Confirmation from a British Columbia practice group confirming the applicants’ acceptance as an affiliate of the group for a minimum of six months.
5. Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Pilot Project
This pilot project makes it possible for entry level and low skilled foreign workers in occupations related to tourism, hospitality, food processing, and long-haul trucking industries to apply for permanent immigration visa through British Columbia’s provincial immigration program. In order to be eligible to apply in this category, the applicants must have worked full-time in British Columbia at least for a period of nine consecutive months and is continuing with the same employer at the time of submitting the application.
BUSINESS IMMIGRATION
Business based provincial immigration program facilitates the expedited permanent immigration visa for those entrepreneurs or investors who are investment ready and are qualified to establish a successful business or investment portfolio and also settle in British Columbia. It is essential for the prospective applicants under business program to meet the specific eligibility criteria. There are three sub-categories under the business option of provincial immigration program:
• Business Skills
• Regional Business
• Strategic Projects
Basic Criteria:
Though all three sub-categories have been developed considering various economic factors, regional demographics and compatibility of applicants skills, there is a cohesive basic criteria that the applicants in all the sub-categories must meet beside the category-specific criteria in order to qualify under business based provincial immigration program. The basic criterion is given below:
• The primary object of the proposed business should be the entrepreneurial provision of products and services in British Columbia;
• The business must have a good commercial viability and economic sustainability.
• The proposed business must be economically beneficial to British Columbia by increasing any one of the following:
o Exports
o Manufacturing
o Processing
o Tourism
o Research & Development
o Commercialization of technology
o Innovative business approaches
o Accelerating business in lesser developed regional market
o Transfer of skills and technology to the province
All three sub-categories under business provincial immigration program have different dynamics, economic factors and regional variables that determine the specificity of their respective requirements. Any interested foreign national who could be interested to explore any of the sub-categories in detail may contact us and we will be happy to assist you in making an educated decision in this regard.