BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) in 2026
British Columbia's program has two main paths: Skills Immigration for workers, and Entrepreneur Immigration for people who plan to run a business. Both use a registration and invitation system.
What changed in 2026
In April 2026, BC announced changes that removed several streams, including the tech-priority stream, the international graduate streams, and the entry level and semi-skilled stream. Two Skills Immigration streams remain active, Skilled Worker and Health Authority, each with an Express Entry BC option. BC now says its Skills Immigration updates follow three objectives: - Care: healthcare and other services in the care economy, including child care, education and veterinary care. - Build: construction trades and infrastructure work. - Innovate: high economic impact, selected by wage or by points.
In 2026 BC has issued invitations by category and priority, for example Care: Health, Care: Childcare, Build: Construction Trades, and Innovate: High Economic Impact, instead of running general draws. Health-related streams remain, including one for healthcare workers employed in the public health sector.
How selection works
Skills Immigration registrants receive a score based on factors such as wage, occupation, work experience, education, language, and location in British Columbia. BC then invites candidates by priority. Cut-off scores and wage floors change from round to round, so a past cut-off is only a rough guide.
Most Skills Immigration categories require a valid, long-term, full-time job offer from an eligible BC employer. BC has also published a new list of occupations that are not eligible under any Skills Immigration stream for applications submitted after June 13, 2026, including some administrative occupations.
Express Entry BC
If you qualify through an Express Entry-aligned BC stream, a nomination adds 600 CRS points.
Entrepreneur Immigration
BC's Entrepreneur Immigration path is separate and works through its own registration and invitations. We cover business immigration on its own page.
Get help from a licensed consultant
With BC's priorities shifting, the right move depends on your occupation, wage and employer. I can review your situation and tell you honestly whether BC fits. No one can guarantee an invitation or a nomination.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a tech stream in 2026? BC removed its separate tech-priority stream in April 2026. Tech workers may still be selected through other invitations, such as high economic impact rounds.
Do I need a job offer? Most Skills Immigration categories require one.
Are international graduate streams still open? BC removed its international graduate streams in 2026 and has said it will not launch the new student streams it had planned.
Does BC hold general draws? In 2026, BC has issued invitations by category and priority, not through general draws.
Sources: WelcomeBC, BC PNP news and invitations pages; law-firm and news summaries of the April 2026 changes.
This page is general information, not legal advice on your situation.