On September 1, 2016, the British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (“BC PNP“) published changes to its program guide.
Here is a summary of the changes.
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Topic |
Original |
Change |
| Representatives | If you are invited to apply and your employer is using a representative, your employer must also complete their own use of representative form, even if your employer is appointing the same representative. | If you are invited to apply and you are using a representative, your employer must also complete their own use of representative form, even if your employer is appointing the same representative. |
| Refunds | If invited to apply, you must submit the $550 application fee with your online application before your application will be processed. Incomplete applications will not be processed and fees may not be refunded. | If invited to apply, you must submit the $550 application fee with your online application before your application will be processed. Incomplete applications will not be approved, and application fees will only be refunded if you withdraw your application before the BC PNP begins to assess it. You may contact the BC PNP at PNPinfo@gov.bc.ca to withdraw your application and find out if you are eligible for a refund. Please provide your full name, your date of birth, and your BC PNP application file number in your email. |
| Minimum Incomes Threshold | 2014 Data | 2015 Data
All thresholds have an average increase of $100-600 |
| Paid Co-Op Counting as Experience | No mention. | Experience obtained in paid co-op work terms is eligible if it meets the following criteria:
Experience in a lower skill level NOC will not be considered as directly related.
Unpaid co-op work terms are not eligible. |
| Deductions | Your employer cannot make any deductions from your pay (or require you to pay any fees) for recruitment or retention, including fees related to immigration. | Your employer cannot make any deductions from your pay (or require you to pay any fees) for recruitment or retention, or any fee that is normally paid by the employer. For more information, please visit Employment Standards Branch’s website. |
| Health Care Professionals | Specialist physician not on the list of eligible occupations. | Specialist physician on the list of occupations. |
| Midwives | Must be registered with the College of Midwives of British Columbia. | Must be registered, or eligible to be registered, with the College of Midwives of British Columbia. |
| CIP Codes | Not mentioned. | Added to the list of eligible degrees.
The BC PNP has the sole authority to determine the appropriate CIP for your program of study. |
| North East Pilot Project | Not included in guide. | You may be eligible for this category if you are currently working in the Northeast Development Region of the province in any entry level or semi-skilled occupation, other than live-in caregivers, listed as skill level C or D in the National Occupational Classification. For more information about the NOC and how it works, please visit this section. |
| Gaps in ELSS Employment | You must maintain full-time employment with your employer in B.C. throughout both the BC PNP and the permanent residence processes. | You must maintain full-time employment with your employer in B.C. throughout both the BC PNP and the permanent residence processes. Registrants who are no longer authorized to work for the supporting B.C. employer at the time they receive an invitation to apply, and who maintain legal status in Canada (e.g. as a visitor) or leave Canada, may submit an application provided they meet the following:
1. the requirement for 9 months of full-time employment on a valid work permit in B.C. was met at the time of current registration AND 2. the job offer remains valid throughout the current registration and application process. |
| Recruitment (Working in Position) | Met if you have a valid work permit from IRCC and are currently working for the supporting B.C. employer in the occupation identified in the job offer.
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Met if you have a valid work permit from IRCC and are currently working full-time (30 hours per week) for the supporting B.C. employer in the occupation identified in the job offer. |
| Recruitment (Not Working in Position) | NOC B position advertisements must include
company operating name job title and duties rate of pay location of work (local area, city or town) contact information skills requirements for the job including: education and/or qualifications work experience
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NOC A and B position advertisements must include:
company operating name job title and duties rate of pay location of work (local area, city or town) contact information skills requirements for the job including: education and/or qualifications work experience
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| How Registration Works | Once you submit your registration, you will receive your registration score and will be entered into a selection pool for the category in which you have registered. You will a receive confirmation of registration email once you successfully submit your registration. Your registration will remain in the selection pool for a maximum of twelve months from the date of submission. | After you complete your registration, you will receive your registration score and will be entered into a selection pool for the category in which you have registered. Your registration is considered successfully submitted once you receive a confirmation of registration email that includes your BC PNP registration number. Your registration will remain in the selection pool for a maximum of twelve months from the date of submission. |
| Confirmation E-mails | After you complete your registration, please ensure that you have received a confirmation email that includes your BC PNP registration number. If you do not receive this email within 24 hours, please refer to the BC PNP Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Technical Guide for further instructions. | |
| Changes Post Registration |
if you need to make changes to the information that you have entered in your registration, you will need to withdraw your registration and submit a new registration with the updated information. This will be done using your existing profile
it is important to make sure your registration information is up-to-date, as differences between the information in your registration and your application may lead to refusal of your BC PNP application
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if you need to make changes to the information that you have entered in your registration other than the information captured in your profile, you will need to withdraw your registration and submit a new registration with the updated information. This will be done using your existing profile. Please carefully review the program and category requirements before completing your registration · it is important to make sure your profile and registration information is up-to-date, as differences between the information in your registration and your application may lead to refusal of your BC PNP application. Please note that if, at the time your application is assessed, your points total is determined to be lower than the minimum draw score at the time you were invited to apply, your application will be refused. For more information, please see the ‘Invitations to Apply’ section of this guide |
| Refusals | The BC PNP may refuse your application if:
the information in your registration is different from what you submitted in your application you were not eligible to receive the points assigned to you at the time of registration your application does not meet applicable category requirements in effect at the time of your application
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The BC PNP may refuse your application if: · you do not meet the relevant program or category requirements outlined in this guide · your registration information has changed such that your total registration score has decreased below the minimum draw score at the time you were invited to apply |
| Bonus Eligibility for Working for Current Employer | Current employment for the B.C. employer in the occupation identified in the BC PNP registration. You can receive this bonus only if you are currently employed in the same occupation that you have been offered. You are not eligible for this bonus if your job offer is a promotion from your current occupation with the employer.
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Current employment for the B.C. employer in the occupation identified in the BC PNP registration. You can receive this bonus only if you are currently employed full-time (30 hours per week or more) in the same occupation (ie: same NOC code) that you have been offered in the BC PNP registration. You are not eligible for this bonus if the occupation identified in the job offer is a promotion from your current occupation with the employer. |
| Directly Related Work Experience | You will receive points based on your years of full time (minimum of 30 hours per week) work experience, as it directly relates to the job you have been offered in B.C. This experience may be from work performed within Canada or abroad.
For the registration process, the BC PNP defines directly related work experience as full time paid employment that is classified under the same National Occupation Classification (NOC) code as the B.C. job offer that you have accepted. Experience in a related occupation at a NOC skill level equal to or greater than the NOC code of the B.C. job offer may also be included if, at the time of application, you can satisfactorily demonstrate how this work experience is directly related. Experience if a lower skill level NOC will not be considered as directly related. |
You will receive points based on your years of full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) work experience, as it directly relates to the job you have been offered in B.C. This experience may be from work performed within Canada or abroad. This directly related work experience must have been obtained within the last 10 years.
For the registration process, the BC PNP defines directly related work experience as full-time paid employment that is classified under the same NOC code as the B.C. job offer that you have accepted. Experience in a related occupation at a NOC skill level equal to or greater than the NOC code of the B.C. job offer may also be included if you can satisfactorily demonstrate how this work experience is directly related to the job duties outlined in the B.C. job offer. This information will be required at the time of application. Experience in a lower skill level NOC will not be considered as directly related.
• you have completed 8 years of full-time employment within the last 10 years in your home country as a registered nurse (NOC 3012). Your current B.C. job offer is for a licensed practical nurse (NOC 3233). Because the previous work experience is directly related and at an equal NOC level, it can be included. • you have 3.5 years of full-time employment within the last 10 years in your home country as a senior manager in the financial service field (NOC 0013). Your current B.C. job offer is for financial sales representative (NOC 6235). You can enter this experience because it is directly related and at a higher NOC level. • you have over 10 years of full-time employment within the last 10 years in your home country as a civil engineer (NOC 2131). Your current B.C. job offer is for a food service supervisor (NOC 6311). In this scenario your previous work experience would not be eligible because it is not directly related even though it was at a higher NOC. |
| Education | Points for education will only be awarded for your highest level of education indicated in the registration. For example, if you have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, you will only be awarded points for your master’s degree. You must have successfully completed your education in order to claim these points. Partial completion will not be recognized. Duration of study must exceed 6 months. This six month requirement is separate from category specific requirements. | Points for education will only be awarded for your highest level of education indicated in the registration. For example, if you have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, you will only be awarded points for your master’s degree. You must have successfully completed your education in order to claim these points. Partial completion will not be recognized.
And more changes. |
| IRCC Refusals | Once IRCC has concluded your application for permanent residence and you have become a permanent resident, or once your application for permanent residence has been refused by IRCC, your BC PNP file will be considered closed and no additional BC PNP support will be provided. | |
| Request to Review | The BC PNP will only review a decision where the applicant demonstrates that the decision was unreasonable or procedurally unfair on the basis of the program criteria and the evidence before the program advisor. If you have questions about the reasons for a refusal decision or wish to request a review of the decision, you may contact the BC PNP through the inbox: pnpinfo@gov.bc.ca. | The purpose of a review is to determine whether the original decision was based on a fair process, and was within the range of decisions that could be reasonably supported by the evidence before the decision maker on the basis of the program criteria at the time of the decision. A review is not a chance to submit new evidence or re-argue the evidence submitted in your application. Being unsatisfied with the final decision or a component of the decision is not sufficient grounds to vary or reverse a decision.
A complete request for review package must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date provided on the decision notice if the person is a resident in Canada, or 60 calendar days of the date of the decision notice if the person is not a resident in Canada. For the purposes of a review, residence in Canada is determined by the applicant’s residential address indicated on the request for review form. |