Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants

Last reviewed: April 2, 2024

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Are you eligible?
Stream 1: priority occupations
Stream 2: regulated occupations
Stream 3: unregulated occupations

British Columbia has a growing economy and job market—employers and communities are looking for workers in many different areas.

Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants helps professionals use their skills, training, and foreign qualifications for work in B.C. It can help you get jobs that match your experience and background.

The Career Paths program offers:

financial help to pay for professional re-credentialling (training) or licenses
job-related language training
assessment (checking) of credentials and experience
career planning and coaching
communication with regulatory authorities
referrals to employers and mentors
Canadian work experience opportunities – for example, through work-study programs or related jobs in your industry
if your occupation is not practised in B.C. or your qualifications are not recognized in B.C., Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants can help you find other options

Visit the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA) website to see videos that explain the Career Paths program.

Are you eligible?

You may be eligible for Career Paths if you:

Became a permanent resident of Canada within the last ten years
Are a protected person/refugee
Have been selected for permanent residence
Have 1 year of work experience in your home country (Stream 1 and 2)
Have 2 years of work experience in your home country, or 1 year of pre-arrival work experience in your home country if you are 30 years old or younger (Stream 3)
Have an intermediate to advanced level of English language proficiency
Are unemployed or working in a job that does not use your skills and training from your home country

The program has three streams:

Stream 1: Priority occupations. These are specific jobs that are classified using the NOC system. They are in demand in B.C. and difficult to fill.
Stream 2: Regulated occupations. These include skilled jobs where you may need to be recertified to work in B.C. The recertification process is done by a regulatory body.
Stream 3: Unregulated occupations. These include skilled jobs where you may not need to be certified.

Stream 1: B.C. priority occupations

Stream 1 could help you find work in a high-demand job. Under this stream you could get up to 24 months of help toward your work goal. Support may include:

Career counselling specific to your job
Help getting recertification education (where relevant)
English language training specific to your job
Other help that B.C. employers know will help you succeed

Find the jobs that are in high demand in B.C. under stream 1 below, including service providers and their contact information. The occupations below are found in the NOC 2016 version.

Service providers delivering the Career Paths Program: Stream 1

Occupational group	Occupation	Service provider
Construction & engineering	NOC 0711 Construction managers NOC 2131 Civil engineers NOC 2133 Electrical & electronics engineers NOC 2132 Mechanical engineers 2151 Architects	Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) 604-375-2105 careerpaths@issbc.org
Technology	NOC 2171 Information systems analysts and consultants NOC 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers NOC 2281 Computer network technicians NOC 2173 Software engineers and designers NOC 2175 Web designers and developers	Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) 604-375-2105 careerpaths@issbc.org
Business	NOC 1111 Financial auditors & accountants NOC 1311 Accounting technicians and bookkeepers NOC 1123 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations NOC 1122 Professional occupations in business management consulting	Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (M.O.S.A.I.C.) 604-438-8214 ext. 111 careerpaths@mosaicbc.org
Health A	NOC 3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses NOC 3233 Licenced practical nurses NOC 3216 Medical sonographers NOC 3112 General practitioners and family physicians NOC 3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates NOC 3111 Specialist physicians	Douglas College 604-588-7772 careerpaths@douglascollege.ca
Health B	NOC 3142 Physiotherapists NOC 3143 Occupational therapists NOC 3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants NOC 3114 Veterinarians NOC 3132 Dieticians and nutritionists	Back in Motion 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca
Education and social services	NOC 4212 Social and community service workers NOC 4011 University professors and lecturers NOC 4021 College and other vocational instructors NOC 4214 Early childhood educators and assistants	Douglas College 604-438-3045 careerpaths1@douglascollege.ca
Management	NOC 0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers NOC 0631 Restaurant and food service managers NOC 0601 Corporate sales managers NOC 0121 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers	Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) 604-596-7722 CareerPaths@pics.bc.ca

Stream 2: regulated jobs

More than 280 jobs in B.C. are regulated. To work in a regulated job, you need to be certified. Stream 2 could help you find work in a regulated job that does not fall under Stream 1.

Each regulated job has different standards. A regulatory authority sets these standards. It also assesses qualifications from other countries.

In this stream you may receive up to 22 months of help to reach your work goal. This could include:

Career counselling specific to your job
Financial help to upgrade your skills, including language training
Help with getting ready for exams
Other support that will help you succeed in B.C.

If you don’t have a lot of work experience in Canada, career counsellors can help you find a practicum or a temporary job in your industry. While you work, you can get your Canadian credentials.

Stream 3: unregulated jobs

Stream 3 may help you to find a job in any unregulated occupation in B.C. Under stream 3 you may get up to 12 months of help reaching your work goal. Support could include:

Career counselling specific to your job
Financial support for upgrading (including language training)
Other support that will help you succeed in B.C.

Find services under stream 2 and 3 in each region of the province, including service providers, their contact information, and the cities they serve.

Service providers delivering the Career Paths Program: Streams 2 and 3

Region	Service provider	Contact information
Vancouver Burnaby New Westminster Cariboo North	Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC)	236-985-7359 careerpaths@issbc.org
South Delta Richmond Surrey Langley plus	Back in Motion	604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca
TriCities plus	Douglas College	604-588-7772 careerpaths@douglascollege.ca
Thompson Okanagan Kootenay	Kelowna Community Resources Society	250-763-8008 careerpaths@kcr.ca
North and West Vancouver Coast	YWCA	604-209-8271 604-209-8026 CPSI@ywcavan.or
Fraser Valley	Archway Community Services	604-866-0257 CareerPaths@archway.ca
Vancouver Island South	Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA)	250-388-4728 ext. 2140 careerpaths@icavictoria.org
Vancouver Island North	Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society	250-753-6911 ext. 114 250-753-6911 ext. 102 ckarlsson@cvims.org

The Career Paths program is funded by the Province of British Columbia and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

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