Canada: Updates for the British Colombia Provincial Nominee Program

Key Points  

• Canada will update its Provincial Nominee Program criteria for British Colombia beginning in 2025 

Updates to the Provincial Nominee Program  

In January 2025, British Columbia will update its Provincial Nominee Program criteria to boost its economy and support international workers and students. The changes will introduce three new immigration streams to replace the current International Graduate and International Post-Graduate streams. These new streams include: 

• The bachelor’s stream is for recent graduates with bachelor’s degrees from eligible post-secondary institutions and a full-time job offer. 
• The master’s stream for recent graduates with master’s degrees from eligible post-secondary institutions in any field of study, with a minimum one-year full-time job offer. 
• The doctorate stream is for graduates and candidates of Ph.D. programs from eligible post-secondary institutions. 

Additionally, the province will raise language requirements for most streams, with a planned minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark level 8 for the new graduate streams. Previously, levels varied by occupation/category but were typically lower. British Columbia will also prioritize invitations to apply for residence candidates with job offers in priority occupations such as healthcare, construction, and early childhood education.  

Looking Ahead  

These changes are expected to start in 2025. Continue to check the government of Canada’s website and Envoy Global’s website for the latest updates and information.