British Columbia unveils requirements for new time-limited pathway to permanent residence

The Government of British Columbia has released full eligibility details on its new initiative targeting cleaning and security workers employed by a B.C. health authority in a rural or remote community.

Three occupations are eligible for permanent residence (PR) through this initiative, which the province is now referring to as a “temporary stream.”

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

Registrations are to open on June 15, 2026, and will close on August 31, 2026. A webinar providing more details will be held on June 10, for which you can join the waitlist here.

British Columbia previously announced that it aims to retain and nominate up to 250 selected workers employed with a B.C. health authority, aiding their transition to PR status, through this initiative.

Given that the initiative is limited to a maximum of 250 workers, preparing the required documentation outlined in the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program’s (BCPNP’s) Skills Immigration (SI) application guide in advance is advised.

The Government of British Columbia released these updated eligibility details on May 28, 2026, following on the heels of its initial April 23, 2026, announcement, first introducing this targeted initiative.

Who is eligible for this targeted PR initiative?

Individuals in the following three occupations, possessing a “regular, indeterminate, full-time job” with a B.C. health authority in a rural or remote are eligible for consideration:

Janitors, caretakers, and heavy-duty cleaners (NOC 65312);
Light-duty cleaners (NOC 65310); and
Security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410).

Support from a British Columbia’s health authority

Each health authority will determine its own process to select the provincial nomination applications it will support.

There are eight public health authorities in British Columbia that eligible workers can be employed by:

Provincial Health Services Authority
First Nations Health Authority
Fraser Health
Interior Health
Island Health
Northern Health
Vancouver Coastal Health
Providence Health Care

Support for BC PNP applications must be confirmed by an authorized representative of the relevant health authority. Only designated representatives may sign your Employer Declaration Form.

Health authorities are not obligated to support your BCPNP application.

Your B.C. health authority employer must issue a signed job offer on official letterhead. To qualify, you are required to work in a rural or remote area of the province for the same health authority that signed your job offer letter.

You must have a valid job offer at the time of registration and at the time of application, and you must continue to work full-time in that position throughout the application process.

Only those who have been working full-time in an eligible occupation with the same employer for at least nine months prior to registering with the BCPNP will be considered.

Full details on job offer requirements can be found in the BCPNP’s SI guide, in sections 3.5 and 6.6.

Additional eligibility requirements

Beyond the above requirements, candidates must also meet the following criteria to be eligible for the “Temporary Rural / Remote Health Support initiative”

Have, at minimum, obtained a secondary school education (within or outside Canada);
- Provide an English copy of your highest-level diploma, certificate, degree or transcripts.
Meet the minimum income requirement for the full nine-month period prior to submitting a registration and application; and
- Income must meet the requirements based on your annual wage and area of residence in B.C., and your number of dependants.
- Income is the total of your regular gross annual wage from the B.C. health authority supporting your application (and your spouse/common-law partner’s regular gross annual wage in B.C., if applicable).
Meet the general requirements applicable to all SI candidates when registering, and at the time of application, including factors such as intent to reside, language proficiency, work experience, and more.
- Full details can be found in the BCPNP’s SI guide – part 3.

Individuals must also ensure their employer meets all Employer Requirements (listed in part 6 of the BCPNP’s SI guide), related to factors such as economic benefit, legal operations, and business structure. If your employer does not meet these requirements, you do not qualify.

Pre-registration webinar

The BCPNP will host a webinar on June 10, 2026, between 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. for prospective applicants who meet the initiative’s eligibility criteria, as well as employers supporting BCPNP applications.

Interest in this initiative is high, and as such, available slots have been filled. You can sign up to join the waitlist for the webinar here. If demand continues, the province may hold additional webinars later in the year.

This webinar will be part of the province’s broader "Care" objective—more details on this can be found below.

During the webinar, Program staff will go over the BC PNP registration and application process.

The webinar link will be sent within 48 hours of the date of the event.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams

The following individuals and situations do not count

Select regional districts have been identified as ineligible under this initiative, meaning if you work in these districts, you do not qualify for consideration:

Central Okanagan Regional District;
Metro Vancouver Regional District; and
Capital Regional District.
- Exceptions: Galiano Island, Mayne Island, Pender Island, Salt Spring Island, and Saturna Island.

Further, the BCPNP notes that the following situations will not count toward the minimum nine-month work requirement for this initiative:

Employment that forms part of a study program (e.g., a co-op placement);
Employment gained while the individual was in Canada on a study permit; and
Any type of leave that extends beyond two weeks (e.g., vacation leave, maternity/parental leave, medical leave).
- Leave extending beyond two weeks does, however, constitute an acceptable break in employment if appropriate documentation is provided—but candidates will still be required to obtain the full nine months of experience.

Employees of contractors providing services to one of British Columbia’s health authorities will also not be considered. Only direct employees may qualify.

British Columbia’s broader priorities

On April 23, British Columbia announced that it would be overhauling its Provincial Nominee Program, shifting gears to ensure it is attracting top talent and addressing critical labour needs.

This move was guided by three core objectives:

Care—strengthening healthcare and other services within the care economy;
Build—supporting the delivery of infrastructure and major projects; and
Innovate—advancing innovation to help drive long-term economic growth.

The Temporary Rural / Remote Health Support initiative sits within the BC PNP’s larger “Care” priority, intended to prioritize workers who support public services and community well-being.

Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams