Dear future neighbour,
Good news out of British Columbia this week. The province has been handed 1,000 extra nomination spaces for its Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) in 2026, and it’s putting them straight to work for people in healthcare, construction, and high-earning or high-scoring roles.
This isn’t a small tweak. With this latest boost, British Columbia’s total allocation for the year now stands at 6,254 nominations. That’s already more than the province used in all of 2025, and it came after two separate top-ups from the federal government. BC is now the third province or territory this year to get extra room to nominate candidates, following similar increases in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The announcement went up on the BCPNP’s news page on August 18, 2026.
If you’ve been holding off on your BC immigration plans because you weren’t sure there was still room this year, this is your sign that there is.
Where the extra spots are going
BC is channeling its nominations through three priority lanes it introduced back in May: Care, Build, and Innovate.
Care: healthcare, education, childcare, and veterinary roles
This lane covers 36 in-demand occupations, and it has been the busiest so far, with 946 candidates invited in 2026 alone. To qualify, you need a current full-time job or job offer in one of the roles listed below.
| Occupation | NOC | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 | Veterinary care |
| Audiologists and speech-language pathologists | 31112 | Healthcare |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 | Healthcare |
| Chiropractors | 31201 | Healthcare |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 | Healthcare |
| Dental technologists and technicians | 32112 | Healthcare |
| Dentists | 31110 | Healthcare |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | 31121 | Healthcare |
| Early childhood educators* | 42202 | Childcare |
| Elementary/Kindergarten teachers (French-speaking only)** | 41221 | Education |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | Healthcare |
| Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy | 31204 | Healthcare |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 | Healthcare |
| Managers in health care | 30010 | Healthcare |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 | Healthcare |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 | Healthcare |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 | Healthcare |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 | Healthcare |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates*** | 33102 | Healthcare |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 | Healthcare |
| Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 | Healthcare |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 | Healthcare |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 | Healthcare |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 | Healthcare |
| Pharmacists | 31120 | Healthcare |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 | Healthcare |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 | Healthcare |
| Psychologists | 31200 | Healthcare |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | Healthcare |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 | Healthcare |
| Secondary school teachers (French-speaking only)** | 41220 | Education |
| Social workers | 41300 | Healthcare |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | Healthcare |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 | Healthcare |
| Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 | Healthcare |
| Veterinarians | 31103 | Veterinary care |
Candidates need a one- or five-year Early Childhood Educator certificate from the ECE registry. Education workers must already be employed in BC’s K-12 system and have CLB 5 or higher in French. Candidates must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.
Build: construction trades
BC is also fast-tracking nominations for people working in these trades, provided they have at least two years of full-time equivalent experience and a current job or offer:
- Carpenters
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
- Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- Industrial electricians
- Plumbers
- Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
- Welders and related machine operators
So far this year, 572 tradespeople have been invited to apply for nomination under this stream.
Innovate: top earners and high scorers
This one isn’t tied to a specific occupation. It’s open to skilled workers and entrepreneurs across any sector, as long as you meet one of two bars: a strong wage tied to your job’s skill level, or a high registration score. The most recent round, held on July 16, called for a wage around $58 an hour (about $115,000 a year) or a score of at least 132. Under this stream, BC has issued 2,658 invitations in 2026 so far.
How the process actually works
Getting permanent residence through the BCPNP follows a set path:
- Confirm you meet the minimum requirements for one of the program’s streams.
- Submit an expression of interest through the BCPNP Online Portal.
- Wait for an invitation to apply, which comes through a selection round.
- Submit your full nomination application (you get 30 days as a skilled worker, or 120 days if you’re an entrepreneur).
- Receive your provincial nomination.
- Apply to the federal government for permanent residence.
As of August 6, BC had already issued 4,324 invitations to apply this year, and the province says it intends to use its entire 6,254-spot allocation before the year is out. At least 35% of those nominations are expected to go to people working outside Metro Vancouver, so opportunities outside the big city are very much part of the plan.
There’s also a smaller, time-limited pathway worth knowing about: the Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative. It’s aimed at cleaners and security staff with a full-time offer from a BC health authority in a rural or remote area, covering janitorial and heavy-duty cleaning roles, light-duty cleaning, and security guard positions. BC extended the registration deadline for this pathway in mid-August and plans to nominate up to 250 people through it. So far, 60 invitations have gone out.
What this means for you
More nomination spots means more chances to get an invitation, but BC has made it clear it wants to use this allocation before the year ends, which means the pace of invitations is likely to pick up. If you work in healthcare, education, childcare, veterinary care, construction, or you’re a high earner or high scorer in any field, now is the time to get your paperwork and eligibility in order rather than wait for the next round.
Ready to make your move? Let’s map out your path to Canada
Immigration rules shift fast, and BC’s latest update is proof of that. Whether you’re eyeing provincial nomination, Express Entry, a work permit, a postgraduate work permit, spousal sponsorship, a visitor visa, a super visa, citizenship, or school admissions, the smartest step you can take right now is getting clarity on where you stand. Book a one-on-one consultation with us at https://euiacademy.selar.com/30minutes and let’s build a plan that actually fits your situation.