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BCPNP - British Columbia PNP - Skilled Worker (SW) Stream
One of the PNP streams of British Columbia that can be both aligned or not with Express Entry
Home > Permanent Residence > Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) > British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) > BCPNP - Skilled Worker (SW) Stream
The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), the Skilled Worker (SW) stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
Overview of the Skilled Worker (SW) stream
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There are two Skilled Worker (SW) streams under British Columbia's PNP:
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The SW streams have minimum eligibility requirements, however, British Columbia does not send Invitations to Apply to every candidate that meets these minimum criteria. In fact, BCPNP conducts periodic SW draws, and each draw has its own minimum threshold score (out of 200, details in section below) for each of the two SW streams. If you score 135 points or more, you are assured to receive an invitation in the next draw.
More information is available in the Draw History section of this guide.
If nominated under the Express Entry category, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.
More information is available in the Draw History section of this guide.
If nominated under the Express Entry category, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.
Eligibility Requirements
As said earlier, meeting the following minimum eligibility requirements does not necessarily mean that you will receive an invitation to apply from the BCPNP. Each draw has a minimum threshold score, and you will receive an invitation only if your score is equal or above the threshold score.
There are 4 categories of general eligibility requirements under the Skilled Worker (SW) stream, summarized below:
1. Job Offer
You must hold an offer of indeterminate, full-time employment from an eligible BC employer. The Job Offer must be in an NOC code Skill Type/Level 0, A or B.
The wage stated on your Job Offer 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 BC (bonuses, commissions, tips, housing allowance, etc. are not considered part of your wage).
In the five years preceding your application, and throughout the BCPNP application process, you and your spouse/partner must not have held a combined ownership/equity stake of more than 10% in the BC company that has offered you employment.
2. Work experience
You need at least 2 years of directly related full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience in your Job Offer's NOC code (Skill Type/Level 0, A or B), and, if applicable, the credentials and qualification requirements of the position.
If the experience was in a co-op work, it can still be eligible if it was paid and full-time.
You can find more information about directly related work experience in the sub-factor 2.(i) of the SIRS below.
3. Language
If the Job Offer's NOC code is of Skill Type/Level 0 or A, you do not need language results to be eligible (BCPNP can still ask you to pass a language test, at their own discretion). However, to claim points in the sub-factor 2.(iii) of the SIRS, you need French or English language test results.
If the Job Offer's NOC code is of Skill Level B, you will need to have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 4 to be eligible.
More information about language proficiency is available in the SIRS section below.
4. Minimum income requirements
You must demonstrate that you meet minimum income requirements according to your (i) gross annual wage in the Job Offer, (ii) location of residence in BC, and (iii) number of dependants.
You can include your spouse/partner's gross annual wage if they work in BC.
Bonuses, commissions, tips, housing allowance, etc. are not included when calculating your wage.
The annual wage is calculated as: (hourly rate) x (hours worked per week (max 40h)) x (52 weeks a year).
The minimum income requirements as set by BCPNP are presented in the table below:
There are 4 categories of general eligibility requirements under the Skilled Worker (SW) stream, summarized below:
1. Job Offer
You must hold an offer of indeterminate, full-time employment from an eligible BC employer. The Job Offer must be in an NOC code Skill Type/Level 0, A or B.
The wage stated on your Job Offer 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 BC (bonuses, commissions, tips, housing allowance, etc. are not considered part of your wage).
In the five years preceding your application, and throughout the BCPNP application process, you and your spouse/partner must not have held a combined ownership/equity stake of more than 10% in the BC company that has offered you employment.
2. Work experience
You need at least 2 years of directly related full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience in your Job Offer's NOC code (Skill Type/Level 0, A or B), and, if applicable, the credentials and qualification requirements of the position.
If the experience was in a co-op work, it can still be eligible if it was paid and full-time.
You can find more information about directly related work experience in the sub-factor 2.(i) of the SIRS below.
3. Language
If the Job Offer's NOC code is of Skill Type/Level 0 or A, you do not need language results to be eligible (BCPNP can still ask you to pass a language test, at their own discretion). However, to claim points in the sub-factor 2.(iii) of the SIRS, you need French or English language test results.
If the Job Offer's NOC code is of Skill Level B, you will need to have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 4 to be eligible.
More information about language proficiency is available in the SIRS section below.
4. Minimum income requirements
You must demonstrate that you meet minimum income requirements according to your (i) gross annual wage in the Job Offer, (ii) location of residence in BC, and (iii) number of dependants.
You can include your spouse/partner's gross annual wage if they work in BC.
Bonuses, commissions, tips, housing allowance, etc. are not included when calculating your wage.
The annual wage is calculated as: (hourly rate) x (hours worked per week (max 40h)) x (52 weeks a year).
The minimum income requirements as set by BCPNP are presented in the table below:
| # of dependants | Greater Vancouver Regional District | Rest of British Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22,804 CAD | 19,006 CAD |
| 2 | 28,390 CAD | 23,659 CAD |
| 3 | 34,902 CAD | 29,087 CAD |
| 4 | 42,376 CAD | 35,316 CAD |
| 5 | 48,062 CAD | 40,054 CAD |
| 6 | 54,205 CAD | 45,175 CAD |
| 7 or more | 60,350 CAD | 50,296 CAD |