BC Health Authority Stream: BC PNP for Healthcare Professionals

Visa Overview

The BC PNP Health Authority Stream is a direct-application provincial nomination stream for healthcare professionals who have an indeterminate (no end date) full-time job offer from a BC public health authority, allowing them to apply for permanent residency without first registering in the BC PNP system.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Health Authority Stream, you must meet all general requirements in Part 3 of the BC PNP Program Guide as well as the stream-specific requirements in Part 4.2.

Job Offer Requirements

• You must have an indeterminate (no end date) full-time job offer from a BC public health authority in an eligible health occupation.
• Full-time employment is defined as at least an average of 30 hours per week, year-round.
• Physicians, nurse practitioners, and midwives who are not directly employed by a health authority may use a recommendation letter and supporting documentation from a health authority or midwife practice group.
• The job offer must be valid at the time of application and throughout the BC PNP application process.

Employer Requirements

• Your employer must be one of BC's public health authorities: Provincial Health Services Authority, First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, or Providence Health Care.
• The health authority must agree to support your BC PNP application before you apply.
• Only authorized individuals at the health authority may sign the Employer Declaration Form.
• Your employer must meet all employer requirements listed in Part 6 of the Program Guide.

Occupation Requirements

• Your job offer must be in an eligible health occupation: any NOC code that starts with a 3 (health occupations), social workers (NOC 41300), therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (NOC 41301), or social and community service workers (NOC 42201).

Education and Qualification Requirements

• You must meet the minimum qualification credentials required for your occupation (e.g., license, registration, professional certification, and membership).
• You must meet the education, training, experience, and qualifications required by the BC public health authority.
• The BC PNP may refer to WorkBC, the NOC, and provincial/federal regulatory agencies to determine minimum qualifications.
• The BC PNP may request additional documentation such as an Educational Credential Assessment during assessment.
• NOC 42201 (social and community service workers) requires a diploma or degree in social services or community health services.
• NOC 33102 (health care assistants) requires registration on the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker registry.

Work Requirements

• You must meet the work experience required by the BC PNP and your BC health authority employer.
• All declared work experience must be paid employment. Unpaid work experience is not eligible except for NOC 41200 positions at a BC public university.

Language Requirements

• If your job offer is classified under NOC TEER 2, 3, 4, or 5, you must demonstrate English or French proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in each of the four competencies: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• If your job offer is classified under NOC TEER 0 or 1, you are not required to submit language test results unless claiming points.
• Accepted tests and minimum scores for CLB 4: CELPIP-General (4 in each skill), IELTS General Training (L4.5, R4.0, W4.0, S3.5), PTE Core (L28-38, R33-41, W41-50, S41-50), TEF Canada (see IRCC equivalency charts), TCF Canada (L331, R342, W4, S4).
• Test results must be valid for two years from the date of issuance and must be valid at the time of application.

Financial Requirements

• Your offered wage must be within the wage range posted on WorkBC or the federal Job Bank for the occupation and location.
• Wages must be comparable to those paid to Canadian citizens and permanent residents with similar education, training, and experience, and consistent with the employer's compensation structure.
• Bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing, tips, overtime, housing allowances, and similar payments are not considered part of the wage.
• You must meet minimum family income requirements based on family size and area of residence in BC. For a 1-person family in Metro Vancouver, the minimum is $29,380 CAD; for the rest of BC, $24,486 CAD. For a 2-person family in Metro Vancouver, the minimum is $36,576 CAD; for the rest of BC, $30,482 CAD.
• Applications will not be approved if the BC PNP has reasonable grounds to believe the offered wage has been inflated to meet minimum income requirements.

Residence and Regional Requirements

• You must demonstrate intent to live, work, and economically establish in British Columbia.
• Your employment in BC must provide economic benefit to BC, such as meeting a critical skills need, maintaining or creating jobs for Canadians, or transferring knowledge and skills.

Status and Visa Requirements

• If you are in Canada, you must have legal immigration status (work permit or study permit).
• You are not eligible if you are out of status, working without authorization, have an unresolved refugee claim, or are under a removal order.

Health and Character Requirements

• You must meet federal and provincial health and character requirements as part of the final nomination approval.

Skills Assessment Requirements

• Skills assessment is not required for this stream; instead, you must meet the qualification and licensing requirements set by the BC health authority and regulatory bodies for your occupation.

Family Member Requirements

• Your spouse or common-law partner's wages may be included in family income if they hold a valid work permit or employment authorization and are currently employed in BC.
• Dependants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents are not included in family size calculation.

Study Requirements

• No study requirements are specified for this stream.

Documentation Requirements

• You must provide a job offer letter signed and dated by an authorized BC employee and by you.
• You must submit a completed Employer Declaration Form signed by authorized health authority personnel.
• Physicians, nurse practitioners, and midwives must provide a recommendation letter and supporting documentation from the health authority or midwife practice group.
• The BC PNP may request additional documents such as Educational Credential Assessment or language test results during assessment.