British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)

The BC PNP is British Columbia's economic immigration program. The province selects and nominates workers, entrepreneurs and businesses that meet its labour market and economic development needs. A nomination lets you and your family apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence in the provincial nominee class. B.C.'s Provincial Immigration Programs Act and regulation govern the provincial stage.

There are two pathways. Skills Immigration is for workers with a job offer, through the Skilled Worker stream or the Health Authority stream. Entrepreneur Immigration is for people who start or take over a business (Base and Regional streams) and for foreign corporations sending key staff to B.C. (Strategic Projects stream).

Nominations allocated to B.C. for 2026

6,254

Maximum Skills Immigration registration score

200

To submit a complete application after an invitation

30 days

BC PNP processing time for about 80% of applications

3 months

The program is open but smaller and more targeted than before. For 2026, IRCC first gave B.C. 5,254 nominations and added 1,000 in August, for a total of 6,254. On April 23, 2026, B.C. set three objectives for the program: Care (health care, child care, education and veterinary care), Build (certified construction trades) and Innovate (high economic impact candidates in any sector). B.C. expects at least 35% of nominations to go to candidates working outside Metro Vancouver.

Skilled Worker stream: a job offer in an eligible occupation in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), plus at least 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) experience in any skilled occupation, in Canada or abroad, in the last 10 years.

Health Authority stream: a regular, indeterminate, full-time job offer from one of B.C.'s 8 public health authorities in a health occupation (NOC codes starting with 3), or as a social worker, counselling therapist or social and community service worker. Physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives who are not direct employees can qualify with health authority support and a B.C. licence. You apply directly, without registering.

Express Entry BC (EEBC): an option inside both streams, not a separate stream. You must also meet a federal Express Entry program, give your Express Entry profile number and job seeker validation code, and have a TEER 0 to 3 job offer. A non-EEBC registration cannot be converted to EEBC later.

Entrepreneur Base stream: start or take over a business anywhere in B.C., with at least 3 years as an owner-manager in the last 10 years (or an eligible degree instead) and one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Entrepreneur Regional stream: start a new business in a participating community outside Metro Vancouver, with 3 years as an owner-manager in the last 5 years, one new full-time job, an exploratory visit and a community referral (valid 90 days).

Strategic Projects stream: for established foreign corporations expanding into B.C. with an equity investment of at least $500,000. The company must create at least three new full-time jobs for Canadians or permanent residents for each key staff member proposed. See the province's current criteria.

Next, see the closed streams section if you planned a graduate or entry-level route, and our business immigration page to compare entrepreneur programs.

Skills Immigration applicants must meet these requirements when registering, when applying and throughout the process.

• Job offerOne full-time job (at least 30 hours a week on average, year-round) with no end date. Some listed occupations can use a limited-term offer.
• Eligible occupationNot on B.C.'s ineligible list, which since June 13, 2026 covers several administrative occupations, retail and food service supervisors, real estate agents and religious occupations.
• QualificationsYou meet the education, training and licensing required for the job.
• Work experiencePaid experience only. Work on a study permit does not count, except paid full-time skilled co-op terms after you graduate.
• LanguageCLB 4 in all four abilities for TEER 2 to 5 jobs, on an approved test less than 2 years old. For TEER 0 or 1 jobs, a test is needed only if you claim points or the BC PNP asks.
• Wage and family incomeThe wage must fall within the WorkBC or Job Bank range, and family income must meet B.C.'s minimum table.
• Legal statusIn Canada, you must have legal status, must not work without authorization, and must not have an unresolved refugee claim or a removal order.
• OwnershipYou must not hold or control 10% or more of the supporting employer.
• Intention and economic benefitYou intend to live, work and establish in B.C., and your job benefits the province.

Your employer must have operated in B.C. for at least one year and have at least five full-time employees in B.C. (three outside Metro Vancouver). It must recruit locally first and show a genuine need for the job. Staffing agencies and organizations that provide immigration services are generally not eligible.

Except for the Health Authority stream, you first submit a free registration. It is scored out of 200 points and stays in the pool for up to 12 months.

Invitations do not simply go to the highest scores. The BC PNP targets draws by occupation, designation, wage and region. In 2026 it held Care draws (child care, health, education and veterinary care), Build draws (certified construction trades) and Innovate draws for High Economic Impact candidates, selected by wage or by score.

As of October 29, 2026, WelcomeBC's invitations page listed Skills Immigration draws every few weeks in 2026. Among the 2026 draws listed there, minimum scores ranged from 76 to 108 for priority health care occupations, 99 to 115 for early childhood educators, 88 to 108 for construction trades and 131 to 138 for High Economic Impact draws by points. Other High Economic Impact draws used a minimum wage instead of a score. Draw factors change each time, so check the invitations page before you rely on a figure.

An invitation gives you 30 calendar days to submit a complete application, with no extension.

An Express Entry BC nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, but you still need an IRCC invitation. If IRCC invites you before B.C. nominates you, you must decline the federal invitation to be nominated.

1. 1

   1. Choose your stream and option

   Pick the Skilled Worker or Health Authority stream and decide on the EEBC option. For EEBC, create your Express Entry profile first.

2. 2

   2. Secure employer support

   Your employer must agree before you register and sign the Employer Declaration Form.

3. 3

   3. Register (Skilled Worker)

   Register in the BC PNP Online portal. Keep it accurate, because differences that drop your score below the draw minimum can lead to refusal. Health Authority applicants skip this step.

4. 4

   4. Apply within 30 days of an invitation

   Pay the fee and upload all documents. Report any change in your job or family within 15 calendar days.

5. 5

   5. Receive a decision

   If approved, you receive a Confirmation of Nomination. If refused, you can request a review within 30 days (60 days if you live outside Canada).

6. 6

   6. Apply to IRCC before your nomination expires

   EEBC nominees update their Express Entry profile and wait for an IRCC invitation. Others apply to IRCC online outside Express Entry.

Entrepreneurs register, have net worth verified by an authorized accounting firm if invited, and apply within four months. If approved, they sign a Performance Agreement and get a work permit. They are nominated only after showing, 18 to 20 months after arrival, that they met the agreement.

BC PNP fees are refunded only if you withdraw before assessment starts. IRCC's fees for the permanent residence application are separate: $1,590 for the principal applicant and for a spouse or partner (including the right of permanent residence fee), $270 per dependent child, and biometrics of $85 per person or $170 per family.

Family income can include a working spouse's B.C. wage. Your spouse and dependent children count in the family size even if they do not come with you.

The BC PNP decides about 80% of Skills Immigration applications within 3 months and requests for review within 6 months. IRCC's times for the federal stage are shown below, live from IRCC's processing times tool.

After nomination, the BC PNP can cancel your nomination if you stop meeting your conditions, for example if you lose your job or your hours or wage drop. Report material changes within 30 days.

1. November 26, 2024

   International Graduate stream closes

   Last invitations issued; registrants who were not invited were removed from the pool.

2. December 3, 2024

   Final draw for priority technology occupations

   Technology occupations stay eligible and are now covered by High Economic Impact invitations.

3. December 10, 2024

   Last Entry Level and Semi-Skilled invitations

   B.C. announced on April 23, 2026 that the stream is officially closed.

4. January 7, 2025

   International Post-Graduate stream stops accepting applications

   Applications received from September 1, 2024 to January 7, 2025 were waitlisted; some were processed with the added 2025 nominations.

5. April 14, 2025

   Three planned student streams paused

   On April 23, 2026, B.C. confirmed it will not launch new student streams.

6. October 7, 2026

   Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative registration closes

   A one-time initiative for up to 250 health authority cleaning and security workers in rural or remote areas, with no Express Entry BC option.

Applications are assessed against the criteria in force on the day you apply, so check which edition of the Program Guide applies to you.

Apply to IRCC before your Confirmation of Nomination expires. If you need a work permit, apply within three months of nomination. A BC PNP work permit support letter lets you apply without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Until you become a permanent resident, keep working full-time for your supporting employer in the nominated job, keep valid status, and report any change through the portal.