The BC PNP International Post-Graduate program is focused on non-Canadians that graduated from eligible BC post-secondary institutions. This program provides foreigners who have graduated from eligible institutions in BC with the opportunity to obtain permanent residence in Canada.

Upon completing the registrations and application process, a candidate from this program may become nominated to apply for permanent residency with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). While this program does not require registration with the BC PNP Express Entry option, if you do make an Express Entry profile you can speed up the processing time for the nomination for permanent residency.

REQUIREMENTS:

Before registering and applying for this program, it is crucial that you familiarize yourself with the requirements for the program. The requirements for the International Post-Graduate category are summarized here:

Investment	There is no investment requirement to apply for the International Post-Graduate category.
Net Worth	There is no requirement of your net worth however you must be able to demonstrate you can financially support yourself in BC.
Work Experience	There is no requirement for work experience for the International Post-Graduate program.
Language	There is no language requirement for the International Post-Graduate program.
Education	You must either have a masters or doctoral degree within past three years from an eligible post- secondary institution located in BC in natural, applied or health sciences
Job Offer	There is no requirement for a job offer with the International Post-Graduate program.
Timeline	The timeline to obtain a permanent residence with the Express Entry program can be as fast as one year. The timeline for permanent residence with the standard Skills Immigration program can take two years and occasionally longer.

CONNECTION TO THE EXPRESS ENTRY PROGRAM:

The registration and application for the International Post-Graduate program will be accelerated if it is submitted with a BC PNP Express Entry profile. However, the registration and application do not require a BC PNP Express Entry profile.

GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING WITH THE BC INTERNATIONAL POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM:

A person may register with the International Post-Graduate program at any time. The registration is done on the BC online immigration portal is available throughout the year. At the time of your application, you must indicate if you are going to register with the BC PNP Express Entry program or the standard “Skills Immigration” program. Registering with the Express Entry program has a faster processing time but has additional requirements thus making it more challenging to succeed. The online cost for applying to the BC International Post-Graduate program is CAD $700 for each application.

Applications are processed on a competitive basis. Therefore, not all applications are approved even if they meet all the requirements. However, if your application is approved then you will be issued a nomination to apply for permanent residence. It can take several months to a year for a permanent residence application to be approved. Due to this time line, you can also apply for a work permit to the IRCC to remain in BC while you wait for the results for your permanent residence application.

Since no job offer is required, a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) form is not required for the BC international post graduate program.

Application with Standard Skills Immigration: If you are applying for permanent residence under the standard Skills Immigration program, then you will have six months from the nomination to submit the application. For this standard program it has to be submitted by mail in a paper format. Once you have submitted the application, the results of the application will be typically completed within 18 months.

Application with Express Entry: If you are applying for a permanent residence under the Express Entry program, then the results will generally be completed within six months from the submission of the application.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The information and facts referred to herein may be amended, removed or otherwise changed by the applicable government authority. As such, the information contained herein is provided with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.