On July 9, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held a targeted occupation-based draw inviting more skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination.
The province selected “highly qualified workers” across a variety of in-demand sectors, including those in care-based occupations and construction trades.
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This marks the eighth Skills Immigration (SI) draw held by the province in 2026, and the 15th round of selections overall.
Draw results
British Columbia issued no fewer than 343 invitations to BCPNP candidates across four occupational categories—in alignment with its reshuffled provincial nomination priorities.
These selections were organized around two out of three of its established core objectives, (care, build) intended to attract highly skilled talent and fill labour market gaps.
The largest share of invitations issued in this round went to candidates in priority construction trades:
| Core objective | Occupational category | Number of NOCs targeted | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care | Childcare | 1 | 91 | 108 |
| Care | Healthcare | 31 | 116 | 96 |
| Care | Veterinary care | 2 | <5 | 88 |
| Build | Construction trades | 9 | 136 | 97 |
Targeted childcare occupations
Only early childhood educators (42202) received invitations under this occupational category.
Early childhood educators (ECEs) must have held either a one-year or five-year ECE Certificate issued by the ECE registry to have been considered for a targeted invitation.
Targeted healthcare occupations
- 30010 Managers in health care
- 31100 Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- 31101 Specialists in surgery
- 31102 General practitioners and family physicians
- 31110 Dentists
- 31112 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
- 31120 Pharmacists
- 31121 Dietitians and nutritionists
- 31200 Psychologists
- 31201 Chiropractors
- 31202 Physiotherapists
- 31203 Occupational therapists
- 31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy
- 31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- 31300 Nursing coordinators and supervisors
- 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- 31302 Nurse practitioners
- 31303 Physician assists, midwives and allied health professionals
- 32101 Licensed practical nurses
- 32102 Paramedical occupations
- 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- 32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
- 32112 Dental technologists and technicians
- 32120 Medical laboratory technologists
- 32121 Medical radiation technologists
- 32122 Medical sonographers
- 32123 Cardiology technologists and elect. diagnostic techs
- 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates*
- 41300 Social workers
*Candidates with a job offer under NOC 33102 were eligible for targeted healthcare invitations only if they were registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.
Targeted veterinary care occupations
- 31103 Veterinarians
- 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
- Valid professional designation was required.
Targeted construction trades occupations
- 72106 Welders and related machine operators
- 72200 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- 72201 Industrial electricians
- 72300 Plumbers
- 72301 Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
- 72310 Carpenters
- 72400 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- 72401 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- 72402 Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
Eligibility for a targeted invitation required construction trades workers to hold a valid trade certificate from SkilledTradesBC or be registered in an apprenticeship with SkilledTradesBC that aligned with their job offer.
This latest selection was the province’s third SI draw of 2026 to target specific occupations; other rounds prioritized candidates based on minimum registration score, wage/salary, and job offer TEER.
The province notes that future SI invitation rounds may be shaped by different selection priorities. Candidates in the SI pool may be considered based on one or more of the following attributes:
- Education—level, field, and location where it was completed;
- Professional designation in the province;
- Duration and skill level of one’s work experience;
- Language ability;
- Occupation;
- Wage and/or skill level of one’s job offer;
- Intent to live and work in a particular region of the province; and/or
- Strategic priorities that align with provincial labour demands or support government pilot projects and initiatives.
As of July 9, the province has issued at least 3,107 invitations to apply for provincial nomination through its SI category.
Makeup of the Skills Immigration registration pool
Foreign nationals are required to submit a registration, or Expression of Interest profile, to be considered for selection under the SI category.
Once a registration is submitted, candidates receive a score based on the information provided and are entered into the applicable registration pool(s).
The province periodically invites BCPNP candidates from the registration pool to submit an application for provincial nomination.
As of July 7 (the latest available update), the province reported having 8,683 registrations in the BCPNP registration pool:
| Score range | Number of registrations |
|---|---|
| 0 - 59 | 209 |
| 60 - 69 | 381 |
| 70 - 79 | 729 |
| 80 - 89 | 1,227 |
| 90 - 99 | 1,496 |
| 100 - 109 | 1,728 |
| 110 - 119 | 1,369 |
| 120 - 129 | 1,058 |
| 130 - 139 | 440 |
| 140 - 149 | 34 |
| 150+ | 12 |
The greatest share of candidates falls into the 100–109 score range, which accounts for 19.9% of all registrations.
However, following the July 9 draw, the registration pool likely contains at least 343 fewer entries than it did on July 7—though this figure does not account for expired registrations or new additions since that date.
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