Last Updated: 28 April 2022
British Columbia (B.C.) is Canada’s westernmost province bordered by the United States. The popular city of Vancouver situated in B.C. is known as Canada’s very own ‘Silicon Valley’ where technology and innovation meets. The province is characterized by a high standard of living, low crime rate, and competitive wages. Communities in B.C. are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, with immigrants accounting for approximately 27% of the population.
The BC PNP is a way for high-demand foreign workers to gain permanent residency in B.C. There are four immigration streams under the BC PNP that you can apply through to receive a Provincial Nomination if your job is in-demand in Canada. The type of occupations in demand in the province are healthcare professionals, tech workers, truck drivers, food processors, and other low-skilled jobs. Find out if your occupation features in one of the immigration streams below:
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 3411 | Dental assistants |
| 3413 | Only health care assistants / health care aides are eligible |
| 3414 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations | |
| 6511 | Maîtres d’hotel and hosts/hostesses | |
| 6512 | Bartenders | |
| 6513 | Food and beverage servers | |
| 6525 | Hotel front desk clerks | |
| 6531 | Tour and travel guides | |
| 6532 | Outdoor sport and recreational guides | |
| 6533 | Casino occupations | |
| 6711 | Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related occupations | |
| 6721 | Support occupations in accommodation, travel and facilities set-up services | |
| 6731 | Light duty cleaners | |
| 6732 | Specialized cleaners | |
| 6733 | Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents | |
| 6741 | Dry cleaning, laundry and related occupations | |
| 6742 | Other service support occupations, n.e.c. |
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities | |
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 9461 | Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing |
| 9462 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
| 9463 | Fish and seafood plant workers |
| 9465 | Testers and graders, food and beverage processing |
| 9617 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
| 9618 | Labourers in fish and seafood processing |
British Columbia is Canada’s tech capital with a high demand for skilled workers who are innovative and educated. To apply to the Tech Pilot, you must have a valid job offer from a British Columbian employer for at least one year in duration.
The 29 in-demand jobs in British Columbia under the Tech Pilot are the following:
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 0131 | Telecommunication carriers managers |
| 0213 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 0512 | Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts |
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 2132 | Mechanical engineers |
| 2133 | Electrical and electronics engineers |
| 2134 | Chemical engineers |
| 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants |
| 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers |
| 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers |
| 2175 | Web designers and developers |
| 2221 | Biological technologists and technicians |
| 2241 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2242 | Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment) |
| 2243 | Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics |
| 2281 | Computer network technicians |
| 2282 | User support technicians |
| 2283 | Information systems testing technicians |
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 5121 | Authors and writers |
| 5122 | Editors |
| 5125 | Translators, terminologists and interpreters |
| 5224 | Broadcast technicians |
| 5225 | Audio and video recording technicians |
| 5226 | Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts |
| 5227 | Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts |
| 5241 | Graphic designers and illustrators |
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 6221 | Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade |
British Columbia needs more healthcare professionals. In-demand jobs in Canada under this category include physicians, nurses, and clinical pharmacists. To qualify to immigrate to Canada through one of the Care Economy Health and Childcare Occupation streams, you must have the support or a full-time job offer from a public health authority and at least 2 years of relevant work experience. There are two streams under this category:
The in-demand jobs in Canada under these streams are the following:
| Healthcare Occupations | |
|---|---|
| NOC CODE | Eligible Occupations |
| 0311 | Managers in healthcare |
| 3011 | Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 3111 | Specialist physicians |
| 3112 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 3113 | Dentists |
| 3122 | Chiropractors |
| 3124 | Allied primary health practitioners |
| 3125 | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating |
| 3131 | Pharmacists |
| 3132 | Dietitians and nutritionists |
| 3141 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists |
| 3142 | Physiotherapists |
| 3143 | Occupational therapists |
| 3144 | Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3211 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 3212 | Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants |
| 3214 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists |
| 3215 | Medical radiation technologists |
| 3216 | Medical sonographers |
| 3217 | Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. |
| 3219 | Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health) |
| 3221 | Denturists |
| 3222 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 3223 | Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants |
| 3232 | Practitioners of natural healing |
| 3233 | Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants |
| 3223 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 3234 | Paramedical occupations |
| 3237 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3411 | Dental assistants |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates* |
| 4151 | Psychologists |
| 4152 | Social workers |
| 4153 | Family, marriage and other related counsellors |
| 4212 | Social and community service workers |
| Childcare occupations | |
|---|---|
| NOC CODE | Eligible Occupations |
| 4214 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
| Other priority occupations | |
|---|---|
| NOC CODE | Eligible Occupations |
| 3114 | Veterinarians |
| 3213 | Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians |
The Express Entry BC is a fast way for skilled foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada. To qualify for an Express Entry nomination, you need to create an Express Entry profile, obtain a job offer, and have at least 2 years of work experience in skill type A, O, or B.
The in-demand jobs in Canada under this category are broad and therefore classified under three skill types namely; Jobs in Management (O), Professional Jobs (A), and Technical Jobs or Skilled Trades (B):
| Express Entry BC – Skilled Worker | |
|---|---|
| Skill Type | Example Occupations (NOC) |
| O – Jobs in Management Positions | NOC 0111 Financial managers |
| A – Professional Jobs | NOC 3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| B – Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades | NOC 7251 Plumber |
If your job is in-demand in British Columbia and you want to immigrate to Canada through one of the immigration streams mentioned above, you’re on the right track. There are numerous options, if you are committed to living in BC, but your occupation isn’t in demand, you could consider studying in the province while working in a semi-skilled job that is in demand until you graduate and take the next step in your career.
