One of the pathways to obtain permanent residency in Canada is through Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). PNPs let provinces and territories nominate people who:
- have the skills, education, and work experience to help their economy
- want to live in that province or territory
- want to become permanent residents of Canada
Each province and territory has its own requirements. They also set the number of people they can nominate each year.
The BC Provincial Nominee Program is a PNP program operated by the Government of British Columbia.
BC PNP operates through two main immigration pathways:
- Skills Immigration: for workers who can meet labour market needs in British Columbia
- Entrepreneur Immigration: for experienced business owners who intend to establish and manage businesses in the province
At this stage, there are no material changes to the Entrepreneur Immigration pathway. Recent updates, including the April 23, 2026 updates, are concentrated almost entirely on Skills Immigration.
See the BC PNP latest updates here: https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/about-the-bc-provincial-nominee-program/news
Skills Immigration now effectively operates through two streams
Following the April 2026 restructuring, the Skills Immigration category has, in practical terms, been narrowed to two active streams:
- Skilled Worker stream
- Health Authority stream
Other pathways, including International Graduate streams and the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS) stream, no longer exist.
Skilled worker stream: broad eligibility, narrow selection
The Skilled Worker stream remains the primary pathway for most applicants. Its core requirements have not changed:
- A job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0–3)
- At least two years of skilled work experience within the last 10 years
- Employer compliance with BC PNP requirements
- Optional alignment with Express Entry
However, the key shift is at the selection stage. Invitations are now highly targeted based on provincial priorities (Care, Build, Innovate). This means that even if an applicant meets all eligibility requirements, they may not receive an invitation unless their occupation aligns with current priority sectors.
Care
The BC PNP will prioritize skilled workers that support public services and community well-being. This includes 36 in-demand occupations in healthcare, education, childcare, and veterinary care.
Health care
- 30010 Managers in health care
- 31100 Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- 31101 Specialists in surgery
- 31102 General practitioners and family physicians
- 31110 Dentists
- 31112 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
- 31120 Pharmacists
- 31121 Dietitians and nutritionists
- 31200 Psychologists
- 31201 Chiropractors
- 31202 Physiotherapists
- 31203 Occupational therapists
- 31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy
- 31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- 31300 Nursing coordinators and supervisors
- 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- 31302 Nurse practitioners
- 31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
- 32101 Licensed practical nurses
- 32102 Paramedical occupations
- 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- 32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
- 32112 Dental technologists and technicians
- 32120 Medical laboratory technologists
- 32121 Medical radiation technologists
- 32122 Medical sonographers
- 32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
- 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates*
- 41300 Social workers
Veterinary care
32. 31103 Veterinarians
33. 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
Education
34. 41220 Secondary school teachers (French-speaking only)
35. 41221 Elementary/Kindergarten teachers (French-speaking only)
36. 42202 Early childhood educators and assistants²
Although BC PNP states that under the Care category, childcare-related occupations are also among the priorities, except for Early Childhood Educators and Assistants, there seems to be limited focus on childcare roles.
Health Authority stream: direct and more predictable
The Health Authority stream remains distinct:
- No registration is required; applicants can apply directly
- Requires a full-time, indeterminate job offer in an eligible occupation from a B.C. public health authority, or being a physician, nurse practitioner, or midwife who is, or will soon be, working in B.C. with the support of a B.C. public health authority or midwife practice group
Health Authority stream eligible occupations (important to note)
Although this list has not yet been updated, it remains important. It includes a much broader range of occupations than the 36 priority occupations, including all health occupations (NOC codes starting with “3”), as well as:
- Social workers (NOC 41300)
- Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (NOC 41301)
- Social and community service workers (NOC 42201)
Temporary time-limited initiative
The BC PNP will deliver a time-limited, one-time initiative to retain up to 250 workers already working for a health authority in a cleaning or security role in a rural or remote community who meet program criteria. This initiative will open in June 2026 through the BC PNP’s expression of interest system. More information will be provided before intake opens.
At this stage, it is not yet clear how this initiative will interact with the standard requirement of employment with a public health authority. It is not also clear whether the eligible employers for this one-time initiative will be limited to the following eight public health authorities in B.C.:
- Provincial Health Services Authority (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/health-authorities/provincial-health-services-authority)
- First Nations Health Authority (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/health-authorities/first-nations-health-authority)
- Fraser Health (https://www.fraserhealth.ca/)
- Interior Health (https://www.interiorhealth.ca/)
- Island Health (https://www.islandhealth.ca/)
- Northern Health (https://www.northernhealth.ca/)
- Vancouver Coastal Health (https://www.vch.ca/en)
- Providence Health Care (https://www.providencehealthcare.org/en)
Entrepreneur Immigration: no major changes
The Entrepreneur Immigration pathway continues to operate as before, targeting experienced business individuals. Recent draws in 2026 show:
- Minimum scores generally in the range of approximately 115–121 for the base stream and 105–129 for the regional stream
Where to track latest draws and scores
For those monitoring the program closely, the most reliable source for up-to-date draw results, minimum scores, and number of invitations is the official BC PNP page:
https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/about-the-bc-provincial-nominee-program/invitations-to-apply
This page is updated regularly and provides current information on:
- Minimum score cut-offs
- Number of invitations issued
- Targeting criteria used in each draw
The BC PNP is now more selective and policy-driven than in previous years. While eligibility criteria in the Skilled Worker stream remain relatively broad, the program’s real gatekeeping function has shifted to targeted invitations.
