British Columbia Receives 1,000 Additional PNP Nomination Spaces for 2026

British Columbia has received 1,000 additional provincial nomination spaces for 2026, creating more opportunities for eligible foreign workers and entrepreneurs seeking permanent residence in Canada. The additional allocation will primarily support candidates working in care-related occupations, construction trades, and high-economic-impact roles under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

With this increase, British Columbia’s total nomination allocation for 2026 has reached 6,254 spaces. The province is the third Canadian jurisdiction to receive additional nomination spaces this year, following Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

The province announced the additional allocation on August 18, 2026.

British Columbia’s 2026 Immigration Priorities

British Columbia is currently focusing its provincial immigration selections on three major objectives:

• Care – Healthcare, education, childcare and veterinary care professionals.
• Build – Workers in eligible construction and skilled trades.
• Innovate – High-earning, high-scoring skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

These priorities are designed to help address labour shortages and support economic development across the province.

Care Initiative: Healthcare, Education, Childcare and Veterinary Professionals

Under the Care initiative, British Columbia is prioritizing skilled workers in 36 eligible occupations.

The targeted occupations include professionals working in healthcare, childcare, education and veterinary services. Some of the major eligible occupations include:

• Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
• Licensed practical nurses
• Nurse practitioners
• Physicians and family doctors
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
• Medical laboratory technologists
• Medical radiation technologists
• Medical sonographers
• Dental hygienists and dental therapists
• Respiratory therapists
• Social workers
• Psychologists
• Veterinarians
• Veterinary technicians
• Early childhood educators

Eligible candidates generally need a current full-time job or job offer in British Columbia in one of the targeted occupations.

Requirements may vary depending on the occupation and the BC PNP stream.

For example, early childhood educators must meet the province’s certification requirements, while certain healthcare support workers must be registered with the relevant British Columbia registry.

French-speaking elementary and secondary school teachers may also qualify under the education category, provided they meet the required employment and language criteria.

So far in 2026, British Columbia has issued at least 946 invitations to candidates working in occupations targeted under the Care initiative.

Build Initiative: Opportunities for Construction and Skilled Trades Workers

The Build initiative focuses on workers in important construction and skilled trade occupations.

The eligible occupations include:

• Carpenters
• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
• Electricians
• Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
• Industrial electricians
• Plumbers
• Steamfitters and pipefitters
• Sprinkler system in`stallers
• Welders and related machine operators

Candidates generally need a current job or job offer in an eligible occupation in British Columbia.

In addition, applicants must have at least two years of full-time equivalent work experience to be considered under targeted selections.

British Columbia has already issued 572 invitations to eligible trades professionals under the Build initiative in 2026.

Innovate Initiative Targets High-Earning and High-Scoring Candidates

The Innovate initiative is aimed at candidates who can make a strong economic contribution to British Columbia.

This category can include skilled workers and entrepreneurs across different sectors and occupations.

British Columbia periodically conducts High Economic Impact invitation rounds. Candidates may be selected based on:

• Their wage or salary and a TEER 0–3 job offer; or
• Their BC PNP registration score.

For example, the province’s most recent Innovate selection round on July 16 required candidates to either have a wage of $58 per hour, approximately $115,000 annually, or achieve a registration score of at least 132.

British Columbia has issued 2,658 High Economic Impact invitations under the Innovate objective so far in 2026.

How to Apply for Permanent Residence Through the BC PNP

Foreign nationals interested in obtaining Canadian permanent residence through the BC PNP must generally follow these steps:

1. Check whether they meet the eligibility requirements for an available BC PNP stream.
2. Create a profile and submit an expression of interest through the BC PNP Online portal.
3. Receive an invitation to apply during a BC PNP selection round.
4. Submit a complete application for provincial nomination within the required deadline.
5. Receive a provincial nomination from British Columbia.
6. Apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.

As of August 6, 2026, British Columbia had issued at least 4,324 invitations to apply for provincial nomination.

The province has stated that it intends to use its full allocation by the end of 2026. At least 35% of its available nominations are expected to be allocated to candidates living and working in communities outside Metro Vancouver.

Rural and Remote Healthcare Support Pathway

British Columbia is also continuing to support workers in rural and remote communities through its Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative (TRHSI).

The pathway targets eligible workers who have a full-time job offer from a B.C. health authority in a rural or remote community.

Eligible occupations include:

• Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners
• Light-duty cleaners
• Security guards and related security service workers

The province has indicated that it may nominate up to 250 eligible workers through this time-limited pathway.

To date, 60 invitations have been issued under the TRHSI.

What This Means for Canadian Immigration Candidates

The additional 1,000 nomination spaces could create more opportunities for eligible candidates in British Columbia’s priority sectors. Healthcare professionals, construction workers, childcare professionals, education workers, veterinary professionals and high-economic-impact candidates may benefit from the province’s increased nomination capacity.

However, meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee an invitation. Candidates must also meet the specific requirements of their selected BC PNP stream and may need to compete with other eligible applicants.

If you are planning to immigrate to Canada through a Provincial Nominee Program, Oasis Visas can help you understand your eligibility and explore suitable Canadian immigration pathways based on your education, work experience, occupation and immigration profile.

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