Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants
Last updated: April 14, 2026
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.
See how a participant achieved their career goals in B.C. in this video.
To learn more, please see the topics below.
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 approved, inside or outside Canada, to become a permanent resident, and have been informed by a letter from IRCC
- Have 1 year of work experience in your home country
- 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
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 a service provider
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 2021 version.
| Occupational group (A-Z) | Occupation | Service provider |
|---|---|---|
| Business | NOC 11100 Financial auditors and accountants NOC 12200 Accounting technicians and bookkeepers NOC 10022 Advertising, marketing and public relations managers NOC 11202 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations NOC 64409 Other customer and information services representatives NOC 11201 Professional occupations in business management consulting | Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (M.O.S.A.I.C.) 604-438-8214 careerpaths@mosaicbc.org |
| Construction and engineering | NOC 70010 Construction managers NOC 21300 Civil engineers NOC 21310 Electrical and electronics engineers NOC 21301 Mechanical engineers NOC 21200 Architects | Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) |
| Education and social services | NOC 42201 Social and community service workers NOC 41200 University professors and lecturers NOC 41210 College and other vocational instructors NOC 42202 Early childhood educators and assistants | Douglas College 604-438-3045 careerpaths1@douglascollege.ca |
| Health A | NOC 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | Douglas College 604-588-7772 careerpaths@douglascollege.ca |
| Health B | NOC 31202 Physiotherapists | Back in Motion 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| Management | NOC 60010 Corporate sales managers | Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) 604-596-7722 |
| Technology | NOC 21211 Data scientists | Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) 604-375-2105 |
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.
Find a service provider
Find services under stream 2 in each region of the province, including service providers, their contact information, and the cities they serve.
| Community (A-Z) | Service provider | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Burnaby | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| Cariboo North (Daajing Giids, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fraser-Fort, Kitimat, McBride, Port Edward, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Smithers, Terrace, Valemount, Williams Lake) | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| Coast (Bowen Island, Lions Bay, Powell River, Sunshine Coast) | YWCA British Columbia | 604-219-8525 |
| Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Mission) | Archway Community Services | 604-866-0257 |
| Kootenay (Cranbrook, Creston, Castlegar, Fernie, Grand Forks, Golden, Invermere, Kaslo, Kimberley, Nelson, Radium Hot Springs, Rossland, Shuswap, Trail) | Kelowna Community Resources Society | 250-763-8008 |
| Langley plus (Langley, North Delta, White Rock) | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| New Westminster | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| North and West Vancouver (North Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, West Vancouver) | YWCA British Columbia | 604-219-8525 |
| Richmond | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| South Delta | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| Surrey | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| Thompson Okanagan (Clearwater, Kamloops, Kelowna, Keremeos, Merritt, Osoyoos, Peachland, Penticton, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Summerland, Sun Peaks, Vernon) | Kelowna Community Resources Society | 250-763-8008 |
| TriCities plus (Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody) | Douglas College | 604-588-7772 |
| Vancouver | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| Vancouver Island North (Campbell River, Comox Valley, Courtenay, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni) | Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society | 250-753-6911 ext. 122 |
| Vancouver Island South (Duncan, Victoria) | Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) | 250-388-4728 |
Stream 3 may help you to find a job in any unregulated occupation in B.C. Under stream 3 you may get up to 18 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 a service provider
Find services under stream 3 in each region of the province, including service providers, their contact information, and the cities they serve.
| Community (A-Z) | Service provider | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Burnaby | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| Cariboo North (Daajing Giids, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fraser-Fort, Kitimat, McBride, Port Edward, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Smithers, Terrace, Valemount, Williams Lake) | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| Coast (Bowen Island, Lions Bay, Powell River, Sunshine Coast) | YWCA British Columbia |
|
| Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Mission) | Archway Community Services | 604-866-0257 |
| Kootenay (Cranbrook, Creston, Castlegar, Fernie, Grand Forks, Golden, Invermere, Kaslo, Kimberley, Nelson, Radium Hot Springs, Rossland, Shuswap, Trail) | Kelowna Community Resources Society | 250-763-8008 |
| Langley plus (Langley, North Delta, White Rock) | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| New Westminster | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| North and West Vancouver (North Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, West Vancouver) | YWCA British Columbia |
|
| Richmond | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| South Delta | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| Surrey | Back in Motion | 604-575-3800 info@careerpaths.ca |
| Thompson Okanagan (Clearwater, Kamloops, Kelowna, Keremeos, Merritt, Osoyoos, Peachland, Penticton, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Summerland, Sun Peaks, Vernon) | Kelowna Community Resources Society | 250-763-8008 |
| TriCities plus (Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody) | Douglas College | |
| Vancouver | Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC) | 236-985-7359 |
| Vancouver Island North (Campbell River, Comox Valley, Courtenay, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni) | Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society | 250-753-6911 ext. 122 |
| Vancouver Island South (Duncan, Victoria) | Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) | 250-388-4728 |
The Career Paths program is funded by the Province of British Columbia and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.