Understanding BC PNP Rejection: Reasons, Reconsideration, and Next Steps

British Columbia offers a number of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) designed to provide foreigners with the right skills, qualifications, and background pathways to receive Canadian permanent residence. The current BC PNP has approximately a dozen streams, each of which receives numerous applicants each year.

However, a large portion of applicants are rejected. If you have received a BC PNP Refusal and rejection letter in the past, you might be wondering what to do next. In this guide, we will go over the various BC PNP rejection reasons, the reconsideration process, and the steps you should take when reapplying.

Most Common BC PNP Rejection Reasons

The British Columbia Government may have rejected your BC PNP application for numerous reasons. This includes:

1. Incomplete or Inaccurate Information

You must fill out and submit several forms as part of your BC PNP application. The BC immigration officer will then review these forms when making their decision on your application. If you left certain sections incomplete or included inaccurate information, the officer will likely reject your application.

2. Lack of Qualifications

Each British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program requires applicants to possess specific qualifications. For example, people applying through the BC PNP Skilled Worker stream must have a minimum of two years of full-time work experience in a skilled occupation that falls under TEER 0, 1,2, or 3.

Your application will be rejected if you haven’t met each qualification in the stream’s eligibility requirements.

3. Ineligible Occupation

Some BC PNPs require applicants to possess job offers or work experience in specific occupation types. For example, someone applying for the BC PNP Health Authority stream must be employed by health authorities in B.C. If you attempt to apply for this stream while working for an accounting firm, your occupation would be considered ineligible and you would be rejected.

4. Failure to Meet Language Requirements

Each Skills Immigration category has specific language proficiency requirements for applicants. Those applying with job offers in TEER 2, 3, 4, or 5 must score a minimum of CLB 4 on a language proficiency exam. If you fall into this job offer category but have scored lower than CLB 4, the BC immigration officer will reject your application.

5. Other Factors

A BC immigration officer may also reject your application if you possessed or engaged in any of the following:

• Having a criminal conviction
• Misrepresentation
• Failing to demonstrate ties to British Columbia
• Failing to demonstrate you could viably settle in British Columbia or other parts of Canada

Reconsideration of BC PNP Applications

If your British Columbia PNP application was rejected in the past, you may be able to appeal the rejection. This “reconsideration” is possible only if the applicant can demonstrate that the rejection was unreasonable based on the program’s current requirements.

You will have 30 days to submit your reconsideration request, starting from the date you first received your rejection along with the refusal letter. There are no fees or rules to follow when submitting a reconsideration. However, we recommend you do the following:

• Gather and review the documents you submitted with your initial application.
• Request the immigration officer’s notes to learn more about your refusal reasons

You can then draft a reconsideration request that contains the following:

1. Your Reasons For Filing the Reconsideration Request

Your write-up should clearly state what you hope to achieve with your reconsideration request. For this reason, you should explicitly state something along the lines of, “I am formally requesting a reconsideration of my BC PNP application. Please reopen my immigration application and approve it for the following reasons.”

2. A Mention of Any Factual or Legal Errors

If you believe there are any factual or legal errors in the refusal letter or officer’s notes, you should point them out here.

For example, the letter may state that you were rejected because you weren’t working in a skilled occupation that falls under TEER 0 or 1. You can then point out that your current occupation fits into one of these categories and provide supporting documents from your employer.

3. Compelling Reasons Why You Weren’t Able to Meet the Initial Requirements

If the officer rejected your application because you failed to meet some of the initial requirements, you could state your reason why the circumstances were out of your control.

For example, you might not have been able to provide a work experience letter from an old employer because their business no longer exists and the owner can’t be reached.

You can then submit your reconsideration request on the province’s website or via email. Note that submitting a reconsideration request doesn’t guarantee that it will be accepted. The choice to entertain a reconsideration request is up to the BC immigration officer, and they may refuse to consider your request if they believe you have failed to meet vital requirements.

If Your Reconsideration Request is Unsuccessful

If your reconsideration request was unsuccessful, you might want to consider trying other Canadian immigration routes. This includes Federal economic immigration programs such as Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and the Canadian Experience Class. Each of these programs has specific requirements, so it is vital to see which ones you are eligible for before applying. There are other pathways to obtaining permanent residency by investing in a business in Canada.

As you can see, your BC PNP application may be refused due to containing incomplete information, lacking qualifications, or failing to meet specific requirements. In such cases, you may be able to get your application reconsidered. However, it is best to consult with the professionals at Elaar Immigration before submitting your reconsideration request.

Our experienced Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants can analyze your refusal letter and help you optimize your reconsideration request to boost your chances of being approved.