May 28, 2010

Vancouver, BC - Plans to expand the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program to benefit international students were announced at Langara College today by the Honourable Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. 


The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) was created in 2001 to accelerate the process for skilled and/or experienced workers and business persons who are applying for Permanent Resident status to live in British Columbia. The plans to expand the BC PNP include providing enhanced access to the program for international students who have completed a diploma or degree program from any eligible institution across Canada, to be accepted as permanent residents. 

At Langara, over 1,700 international students registered for the 2009/10 academic year, an increase of over 24% from last year. The International Education offices have been expanded to accommodate the growth in registrations. These students come from around the world to benefit from Langara’s dedicated faculty and innovative programs to achieve their learning goals. They often begin their studies in the Langara English for Academic Purposes (LEAP) program then continue with university-level studies. The BC PNP program will benefit these successful international students by helping them remain in Canada to become part of the future workforce. 

“These changes provide more opportunities to our learners in a variety of ways,” said David Ross, Langara President. “We commend the province for enhancing this valuable program by taking steps to further assist skilled foreign students and BC employers.” 

“We are pleased that British Columbia is facilitating the fast-tracking of graduates into the BC workforce,” said Gordon McNeil, Director of International Education. “This is a positive move towards addressing upcoming shortages in professional fields.” 

Langara College, located in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada, provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies programs and courses to more than 20,000 students annually. The College’s expansive academic breadth and depth allows students to choose their own educational path. The College offers three bachelor’s degrees as well as a comprehensive variety of diplomas, certificates, and citations.

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program Announcement at Langara College
Left to right: David Chiang, Chair, Langara College Board of Governors; Gordon McNeil, Director of International Education; Richard Lee, Parliamentary Secretary for the Asia-Pacific Initiative and MLA Burnaby North; Dr. David Ross, President and CEO, Langara College; Honourable Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development; Dave Hayer, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, MLA Surrey–Tynehead; Dr. David Farrar, UBC Provost and Vice President Academic; Dennis Dineen, Vice Chair, Langara College Board of Governors; Li Chen, Recon Instruments Graduate Student, Master of Applied Science (Electrical and Computer Engineering) at UBC

Media contact:
Dr. Ian Humphreys, Ph.D.
Director, Communications & Marketing Services
Langara College
604.323.5671
news@langara.bc.ca