British Columbia invites cleaners, security staff, and entrepreneurs to apply for provincial nomination
Between Oct.15–20, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) issued no fewer than 27 invitations to apply for provincial nomination, across two selection rounds.
Invitations were issued to cleaners and security staff employed by a B.C. health authority in a remote area, as well as entrepreneurs looking to start or purchase and expand a B.C. business.
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Selected candidates can submit a provincial nomination application to the province, and if successful, apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR).
In-Canada applicants can also apply for a bridging open work permit after submitting their PR application.
Draw results
| Date of draw | Invitation type | Invitations issued | Cutoff score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 15 | Skills Immigration - Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative (TRHSI) | 16 | 54 |
| Oct. 20 | Entrepreneur Immigration - Base and Regional Stream | Base Stream: 10 Regional Stream: <5 | 118 |
The Oct. 15 draw saw the lowest invitation volume of the three rounds British Columbia has held under the TRHSI, a time-limited pathway to PR for qualifying public health authority workers.
As of Oct. 20, the province has issued no fewer than 6,317 invitations to apply for provincial nomination through its Skills Immigration category—109 of these extended to eligible TRHSI candidates.
Under its Entrepreneur Immigration category, B.C. has issued no fewer than 131 invitations through its two entrepreneur pathways this year, the majority of which have been through the Base Stream.
To date, the province has conducted 17 Skills Immigration draws and 11 entrepreneur-focused selection rounds.
About the BCPNP’s TRHSI PR pathway
The TRHSI is available to foreign nationals employed in one of three eligible occupations who hold a regular, permanent, full-time job with a qualifying B.C. public health authority in a rural or remote community:
- Janitors, caretakers, and heavy-duty cleaners (NOC 65312);
- Light-duty cleaners (NOC 65310); and
- Security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410).
To qualify, individuals must have at least nine months of continuous full-time employment in an eligible occupation, with the same employer and in the same region.
The initiative excludes health authority cleaners and security personnel whose job offers are based in the following regional districts:
- The Central Okanagan Regional District;
- The Metro Vancouver Regional District; and
- The Capital Regional District—with exceptions in place for positions located on Galiano Island, Mayne Island, Pender Island, Salt Spring Island, and Saturna Island.
B.C. introduced this temporary pathway to PR in April 2026, stating it will nominate up to 250 eligible workers under the TRHSI.
Registrations for the initiative closed at midnight on October 7, 2026.
British Columbia has not disclosed the number of workers it has nominated under the TRHSI since its official launch in mid-June 2026.
About the BCPNP’s entrepreneur streams
British Columbia offers entrepreneurs two provincial immigration pathways—the Base Stream and the Regional Stream—both of which have their own qualifying criteria:
| Criteria | Base Stream | Regional Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Business type | Launch a new business or take over + grow existing one | Launch a new business outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District |
| Business experience | 3 years as a business owner-manager in the last 10 years | 3 years as a business owner-manager in the last 5 years |
| *Education | Post-secondary credential | Post-secondary credential |
| Minimum language proficiency | CLB 4 | CLB 4 |
| Minimum personal net worth | $600,000 | $300,000 |
| Minimum investment | $200,000 | $100,000 |
| Minimum ownership | 33.33% | 51% |
| Community referral required? | No | Yes |
| Exploratory visit required? | No | Yes |
| Minimum registration score | 115/200 | 105/200 |
| Registration with BCPNP co-applicant permitted? | Yes | No |
*Applicants without post-secondary education must have owned and actively managed a business for at least three of the past five years, maintaining full ownership throughout that period.
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