New Graduation Streams and Language Requirements

New Graduation Streams and Language Requirements: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has announced that it will introduce changes to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) in January 2025. The primary objective of these updates is to make the immigration process to British Columbia more transparent and straightforward for international workers. The overview of the BC PNP changes will be released in the latter part of 2024, providing potential applicants with ample time to prepare for the new regulation.

What are the upcoming changes to British Columbia PNP?

The BC PNP program updates are aimed at protecting international students from predatory institutions and recruiters and include three key changes:

• Three-stream structure for graduates of bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs replacing two-stream structure
• Language requirements for most streams increased to CLB8
• Prioritization for in-demand occupations that bring economic benefit to B.C.

1. New Graduate Streams (Three-Stream Structure)

Previously, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) had two streams for international graduates:

1. International Graduate Stream: This stream was for recent graduates who obtained a degree, diploma, or certificate from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada within three years. A job offer was required to apply under this stream.
2. International Post-Graduate Stream: This stream was for individuals who had obtained a master’s or doctoral degree in the natural, applied, or health sciences from an eligible post-secondary institution in British Columbia. No job offer was required to apply under this stream.

However, in the new updates, these two streams are being replaced with three new streams to create clearer pathways for international graduates. The new streams are:

1. Bachelor’s Stream: This is for recent graduates with bachelor’s degrees from eligible post-secondary institutions. Graduates with an indeterminate full-time job offer can register for this stream.
2. Master’s Stream: This is for recent graduates with master’s degrees from eligible post-secondary institutions in any field of study. Graduates with a minimum one-year full-time job offer in a skilled occupation can register for this stream.
3. Doctorate Stream: This is for graduates and candidates of doctoral-level programs from eligible post-secondary institutions. Graduates and PhD candidates can apply directly to this stream.

2. Increased Language Requirements

• The minimum language proficiency level will be increased across the program, except for the Health Authority stream.
• A minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 8 is planned for the new graduate streams.

3. Prioritization for In-Demand Jobs

The program will continue to prioritize people who work in in-demand jobs and bring economic benefit to B.C. Specific sectors include:

These updates will help prevent institutions from taking advantage of international students and ensure they are better prepared for their educational and professional journey in BC. They will also give people a better understanding of what is required to be nominated for permanent residency in Canada through the BC PNP.