Who Can Apply

An International Graduate has satisfied the requirements for an eligible degree or diploma from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada within the last two years. Specifically, an application must be received by the BC PNP within two years of the date shown on the final official transcript which indicates that all requirements have been met.

An International Graduate must have accepted an indeterminate, full time job offer from a BC employer. The PNP program does not require that International Graduates have previous work experience.

Requirements

The requirements considered for your application as an International Graduate are:

Education

Nominee applicants in this category must have satisfied the requirements for an eligible degree or diploma – described below – as conferred by a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada, before applying to the BC PNP. An eligible degree or diploma program considered under the BC PNP is:


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Degree

  • The degree (undergraduate or graduate) must have been awarded from a post-secondary institution in Canada that:
    1. If located in British Columbia:
      1. has been established under an Act of the British Columbia legislature; or,
      2. has completed the required government-mandated quality assessment process and has obtained Ministerial consent under the Degree Authorization Act.
    2. If located in Canada but outside British Columbia, Is authorized under the statute of any other province or territory to confer degrees including the undergraduate or graduate degree on which the Nominee Applicant is basing the application to the BC PNP.
  • Nominee applicants will be required to include in their application the name and contact information of a faculty member or senior administrator of the Canadian post-secondary institution where they studied for their degree. This person shall serve as a reference if required.

A list of degree programs offered by BC public post-secondary institutions is available through Education Planner or directly from each institution.

A list of degree programs that BC private post-secondary institutions are authorized to offer is available at the Ministry of Advanced Education website.


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Diploma

  • A diploma must have been awarded by a Canadian public post-secondary institution.Diplomas from private institutions are not eligible.
  • The program of study is normally greater than 12 months of full-time equivalent study.
  • Nominee applicants will be required to include in their application the name and contact information of a faculty member or senior administrator of the Canadian post-secondary institution where they studied for their degree or diploma. This person shall serve as a reference if required.

A list of public post-secondary institutions in BC is available on the Ministry of Advanced Education website. A list of programs offered by BC public post-secondary institutions is available through Education Planner or directly from each institution.


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Occupation

The BC PNP uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) to classify jobs according to the duties, formal qualifications and experience required by the employer.

The BC PNP will consider applications for positions under Skill Levels 0, A and B of the NOC Matrix (PDF – 70KB). The BC PNP will also consider applications for positions under Skill Levels C and D of the NOC Matrix where the employer can demonstrate that there is a structured career progression to an occupation at Skill Level 0, A or B.

Applicants to the International Graduates category of the BC PNP are not required to have any previous work experience.

The NOC helps determine whether the job meets the skill levels established for Strategic Occupations, and whether the nominee candidate’s qualifications and experience match the requirements of the job. The NOC is also used to identify relevant information on wage rates and labour availability for the occupation.


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Wage

The wage the employer intends to pay the nominee applicant must be at market rate and comparable to that for equivalent jobs in BC, for workers with a similar level of experience and training.

Bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing distributions or similar payments to the employee are NOT considered as part of the wage.

The BC PNP uses information from published and unpublished surveys, industry and professional associations and Service Canada/HRSDC to compare wages. Company size, geographic location, skill and experience levels are used to calculate wage rates.


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Qualifications

The nominee applicant must be qualified for the job that the employer is looking to fill. This normally requires several years of directly-related experience in the position the employer is seeking to fill (this is not a requirement for applicants under this category). Program staff will review the nominee applicant’s qualifications and experience to confirm that employment requirements are met. At its discretion, the BC PNP may direct nominee applicants to an independent assessment of their credentials performed by an approved organization to establish equivalency with British Columbia or Canadian standards.