The British Columbia PNP program is committed to helping public sector health care services address shortages in certain professions by accepting applications for two categories of health care professionals: Registered Nurses, and Physicians.

There is a well known shortage of both RN’s in British Columbia. The position being offered must be permanent, full-time and meet all provincial employment and wage standards. Registered Nursing is a licensed profession in B.C. and therefore individuals must also possess, at minimum, a letter from the Registered Nurses Association of BC (RNABC) stating that they are eligible for an interim permit

There is also a well known shortage of physicians in BC; however, licencing is an obstacle to overcome. To be eligible for the BC PNP program, physicians must:

• have been practising in British Columbia on a Work Permit for 9 months or more;
• have been issued a letter from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia indicating that a supervising physician has given them a positive assessment of their work in B.C. thus far and they are now eligible to apply to the BC PNP.

Interested applicants for either nurses or physicians are required to go through Health Match BC, a health care recruitment organization funded by the province of British Columbia. Their website is at www.healthmatchbc.org.

While the Health Care Professionals PNP program is only designed for Registered Nurses and Physicians, the BC PNP does accept and consider other health care workers through their Strategic Occupations category where an employer can demonstrate a critical skill shortage and has identified a qualified international candidate to fill the position.

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