The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has raised its application fees for the Skills Immigration category, from $1,475 to $1,750.
The new fees were announced on the BC PNP’s news webpage on January 22, 2026.
Only applications submitted on or after January 22 are subject to the new fee; those who applied prior to this date are not required to pay the difference.
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Other fees for the BC PNP Skills Immigration category (e.g., request for review) remain unchanged, as do those for British Columbia’s Entrepreneur Immigration streams.
Which streams have been impacted by this application fee increase?
Only those submitting an application under the following Skills Immigration streams will be required to pay the new $1,750 application fee:
- Skilled Worker Stream;
- Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream; and
- Health Authority Stream.
The Skilled Worker and Health Authority streams also have Express Entry BC (EEBC) options. Individuals invited under these Express Entry-aligned streams are also subject to the fee increase.
Fee payments can be made in the BC PNP’s Online User Portal.
Fees are refundable only if an application is withdrawn prior to the BC PNP beginning assessment (except request for review fees, which are non-refundable).
Note that the Skills Immigration fee discussed is only for submitting a provincial nomination application; it is separate from the fee candidates must pay when applying for to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence (PR).
What is the Skills Immigration process?
Those interested in immigrating to British Columbia through a worker stream must:
- Identify a stream for which they are eligible;
- Register online and enter the candidate pool for their chosen stream;
- During this step, candidates will receive a score based on human capital factors (e.g., work experience, education, and language proficiency) and economic factors (e.g., wage and job location).
- Profiles remain active in the candidate pool for up to 12 months.
- Wait for an invitation to apply (ITA);
- Submit their provincial nomination application;
- Candidates must submit a complete nomination application within 30 days of receiving an ITA, or the ITA will expire, and they will be removed from the pool.
- It is at this stage that candidates must pay the $1,750 fee and submit all required documentation.
- Wait for a nomination decision; and
- Estimated application processing times currently sit at three months.
- If successful, applicants will receive a nomination package, which includes a Confirmation of Nomination (CON) letter.
- Nominations can be withdrawn if an applicant fails to meet all nomination conditions until they become a PR.
- Submit a PR application to IRCC before the expiry date listed on the CON letter.
Applicants in Canada with an expired or soon-to-expire work permit will need to apply to IRCC for a work permit to maintain their legal status.
Nominees can obtain a work permit support letter from British Columbia that allows them to apply to IRCC for a work permit without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
This support letter may be provided automatically as part of one’s nomination package if they do not hold a valid permit or it will soon expire. Nominees who do not receive one can request one through BC PNP Online, provided they meet certain criteria.
Nominees must submit their work permit application to IRCC within three months of their nomination date.
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