British Columbia targets skilled workers in latest provincial immigration draw
On April 22, British Columbia held its third Skills Immigration (SI) draw of 2026, inviting candidates deemed to create high economic impact in the province.
The province invited more than 450 candidates, based on minimum wage and qualifying job offer, as well as minimum registration score.
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This latest draw marks the province’s ninth selection round in 2026, taking into account both SI and Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) draws.
Draw details
British Columbia’s end-of-April SI draw saw a total of 484 candidates invited, based on their ability to drive meaningful economic growth in the region.
While the BCPNP selects SI candidates based on a variety of factors, this draw targeted candidates who met one of the following criteria.
| Selection criteria | Details | Invitations issued |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer + wage | TEER 0–3 job offer, with an offered wage of at least $62/hour (≈ $125,000/year) | 252 |
| Registration score | Minimum of 138 points | 232 |
In 2026, all SI draws targeted candidates based on job offer and wage or their minimum registration score.
Just over half of candidates (52.1%) received invitations to apply for provincial nomination based on their job offer and wage on April 22—whereas previous draws SI draws criteria saw more invitations issued based on registration score.
Here’s how this selection round compares to the two previous SI draws held by British Columbia on February 4 and February 11.
February 4 (total of 429 candidates):
- Job offer + wage (206 candidates): TEER 0–3 job offer, minimum wage of $70/hour (≈ $145,000/year)
- Minimum registration score (223 candidates): 138 points
February 11 (total of 460 candidates):
- Job offer + wage (195 candidates): TEER 0–3 job offer, minimum wage of $62/hour (≈ 125,000/year)
- Minimum registration score (265 candidates): 135 points
How does the BCPNP select SI candidates?
To be considered through the BCPNP’s SI category, foreign nationals must submit a registration for a specific stream, after which you will be entered into the registration pool.
You will receive a score based on the information provided during registration, based on human capital and economic factors (for a maximum of 200 points).
Registrations remain valid for a period of 12 months, after which they will be automatically removed from the pool.
Though the past three SI draws have focused on the same selection factors, the BCPNP notes that future high economic impact invitations may be based one or more of the following:
- Education—level and field, as well as location of completion;
- Professional designation in the province;
- Language ability;
- Occupation;
- Wage and/or skill level of one’s job offer;
- Duration and skill level of one’s work experience;
- Intention to work and reside in a specific BC region; and/or
- Strategic priorities aligned with provincial labour market demands or projects/initiatives.
Periodically, the BCPNP select candidates from the registration pools (each stream has its own) and invites them to apply for provincial nomination.
Those who receive a provincial nomination can then apply to the federal immigration department for permanent residence.
You can find the number of registrations in the BCPNP’s registration pool by score range, as of March 31, 2026, below:
| Score range | Number of registrations |
|---|---|
| 0 - 59 | 337 |
| 60 - 69 | 477 |
| 70 - 79 | 993 |
| 80 - 89 | 1,521 |
| 90 - 99 | 1,968 |
| 100 - 109 | 2,194 |
| 110 - 119 | 1,714 |
| 120 - 129 | 1,271 |
| 130 - 139 | 597 |
| 140 - 149 | 111 |
| 150+ | 19 |
| Total: | 11,202 |
As of the time of this writing, the BCPNP has sent no less than 1,414 invitations to SI and EI immigration candidates.
Though the BCPNP has primarily held entrepreneur-focused draws this year (Six EI draws versus three SI draws), the bulk of invitations (1, 373) were issued to skilled workers.
Of note: On April 23, the British Columbia announced major changes to its provincial immigration program. This included the closure of the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream under the SI category, the cancelled launch of its long-awaited student streams, and a shift towards prioritizing healthcare and trades professionals.
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