Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants

COVID-19 Update: Organizations offering the Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants Program are delivering the program remotely with some limited in-person services. For the latest information on available provincial support, please visit the COVID-19 provincial support website.

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. They can help you get jobs that match your experience and background. They also offer:

financial help to pay for professional 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 five years
have 3 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
have an intermediate to advanced level of English language proficiency
are not receiving Employment Insurance or BC Employment Assistance
are working in a job that does not use your skills and training from your home country

The program has three streams:

Stream 1: You have education and experience and need language or skill upgrading.
Stream 2: You need help with upgrading your credentials for a regulated job.
Stream 3: You need help with upgrading for an unregulated job.

Stream 1: in-demand jobs

Stream 1 could help you find work. Under this stream you could get up to 22 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.

Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants Service Provider List: 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	Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) (604) 590-4021 (778) 372-6510 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	Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) (604) 590-4021 (778) 372-6510 careerpaths@issbc.org
Business & Administration	NOC 1221 Administrative Officers NOC 1241 Administrative Assistants NOC 1111 Financial Auditors & Accountants NOC 1311 Accounting Technicians and Bookkeepers	Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (M.O.S.A.I.C.) (604) 438-8214 careerpaths@mosaicbc.org
Health	NOC 3012 Registered Nurses & Registered Psychiatric Nurses NOC 3233 Licenced Practical Nurses NOC 3216 Medical Sonographers NOC 3112 General Practitioners & Family Physicians NOC 3413 Nurse’s Aides, Orderlies & Patient Service Associates NOC 3111 Specialist physicians	Douglas College (604) 588-7772 careerpaths@douglascollege.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
Sales and Services	NOC 0621 Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers NOC 0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers NOC 0601 Corporate Sales Managers	Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) (604) 596-7722 Shameemah.Kalaichelvan @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.

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

Stream 2 can also help you explore a different career. This may be a practical option for many reasons:

your job is not practiced in B.C.
the demand for your job is low
your qualifications are not recognized in B.C.

In this stream you may receive up to 20 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 if:

your job is not practiced in B.C.
the demand for your job is low
your qualifications are not recognized in B.C.

Under stream 3 you may get up to 11 months of help reaching your work goal. Support could include:

career counselling specific to your job
financial support for upgrading (including language training)

Service providers delivering the Career Paths Program

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

Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants Service Provider List: Streams 2 and 3

Region	Service Provider	Contact Information
Vancouver Thompson Okanagan Kootenay Cariboo North	Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC)	Vancouver (604) 590-4021 Thompson Okanagan (250) 545-0585 Cariboo North (250) 624-9494 careerpaths@issbc.org
South Delta Richmond Surrey Langley Plus	Back in Motion	(604) 575-3800 info.careerpaths @backinmotion.com
TriCities	Douglas College	(604) 588-7772 careerpaths@douglascollege.ca
Burnaby New Westminster	Multi-Lingual Orientation Service Association For Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC)	(604) 438-8214 careerpaths@mosaicbc.org
North and West Vancouver Coast	Impact North Shore Formerly North Shore Multicultural Society	(604) 988-2931 ext. 371/241 careerpaths@impactnorthshore.ca
Fraser Valley	Archway Community Services Formerly Abbotsford Community Services	(604) 866-0257 CareerPaths@archway.ca
Vancouver Island South	Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA)	(250) 388-4728 ext. 122 mkovacev@icavictoria.org
Vancouver Island North	Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society	(250) 753-6911 ext. 112 Avalchar@cvims.org