Krista Schofer
Partner
Article
Companies in the tech and innovation industries on Canada's West Coast will continue to benefit from the British Columbia (BC) Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Tech Pilot program for an additional year, to June 2019. The news of the one-year extension also contains details regarding the enhancements to the program. The following is a summary of the Tech Pilot, including the changes to the program.
The Tech Pilot is an initiative under the BC PNP to support the tech sector in recruiting top international skilled talent. The permanent residency program was implemented in 2017 given the high demand for talent in BC's tech sector that could not be filled with the supply of BC workers. The goal of the program is to help businesses in this fast-paced industry succeed in BC, while growing BC's economy.
The Tech Pilot offers the following features:
Following are the general steps under the Tech Pilot:
The Tech Pilot offers BC employers in the tech industry a valuable way of attracting and retaining international talent in the province. The program provides many benefits including a fast-tracked process to permanent residency, a focus on company support, and a pathway to a work permit while permanent residency is in process without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The Tech Pilot also gives employers a channel to communicate directly with the BC government.
As there are numerous options for permanent residency in Canada, we recommend speaking to experienced immigration counsel to consider all options and the best strategy for your company or personal circumstances.
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