BC early childhood teacher immigration selection scores falling again: The beginning of a new opportunity

17 Aug 2024
After rising sharply in recent months, the BC government's immigration program's selection scores for the Childcare pathway have started to fall again. After a long period of steady 60s, scores rose sharply in March of this year, reaching a high of 95, which caused a great deal of panic for many who were preparing to immigrate to BC under the Early Childhood Teacher pathway. Fortunately, however, the scores have gradually dropped back down to 87 recently, and the trend is expected to continue, which may represent a new opportunity for many who are hoping to immigrate in the early childhood education field. The sharp rise in scores may have put some applicants off, and it's time to get ready to immigrate once again.

The Canadian province of BC is experiencing a steady increase in demand for early childhood care services along with a growing population. As a result, the BC government offers a special immigration pathway for early childhood teachers and is actively seeking to attract early childhood education workers through its immigration programs. The BC PNP's Childcare pathway has allowed those who want to work as an early childhood teacher to apply for immigration with a relatively low threshold, making it a highly sought-after job with great advantages for both employment and immigration in Canada, including a steady salary thanks to government funding.

 To work in a childcare setting as an early childhood teacher, you'll need to complete an early childhood education program at an accredited institution, gain hands-on experience, and obtain provincially-required certification, especially since each province in Canada recognizes different early childhood teacher certifications, so it's important to get a certification that is recognized by the province where you plan to work. Provincial early childhood teacher certification is usually obtained by completing a program from an accredited educational institution, gaining hands-on experience, and then applying for certification. This process has the advantage of providing a natural pathway to certification and employment, as you learn the curriculum offered in your province first-hand, gain hands-on experience through an educational institution, and have the support of your school to help you find a job after you graduate. It also makes it easier to develop your language skills while graduating from a local Canadian school, minimizing the challenges you may face when you enter the workforce.

 There are a number of other options available to you, including converting your certification if you already have an early childhood teaching certificate, or earning it through a credit bank if you don't already have one. First, if you completed your early childhood education coursework abroad, you can apply directly to BC to have your credential converted. You'll need to have your education evaluated for equivalency and assessed through the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). You'll need to submit your course descriptions, program verification forms, and official transcripts in English from the courses you took abroad, and additional documents may be required as needed. The downside is that this process is complex and can take several months to complete.

 Alternatively, you can use your existing early childhood education coursework to obtain a SK Early Childhood Teacher Certificate, which can then be converted to a BC Early Childhood Teacher Certificate. The SK certificate does not require English language proficiency and the application and approval process is relatively straightforward, so as long as you have the correct coursework for the certification, it shouldn't be difficult to obtain an Early Childhood Teacher Certificate. This certificate can then be converted to a BC Early Childhood Teacher Certificate with little difficulty through the interstate mobility (labour mobility) credential evaluation process. In addition, the course is available through a credit-banking system, which means that you can take the required courses through an online credit-banking system to obtain the SK Early Childhood Teacher Certificate and then convert it to the BC certificate.

Once you've earned your Early Childhood Teacher Certification through one of these methods, you can then get a job in a child care center and work to build your experience and English language skills to meet the selection criteria, which is how you'll be able to successfully immigrate through the Early Childhood Teacher pathway of the BC government's immigration program. Of course, the scores haven't quite come back down to their previous levels yet, but they are expected to stabilize over time, so if you're planning to immigrate as an early childhood teacher, it's best to prepare well in advance. Because preparation is essential if you don't want to miss out on the opportunity when it comes.



CONTACT US

Embark your journey with CanNest Immigration