BC PNP Skills Immigration

Two streams, chosen by your job offer source

The official page divides Skills Immigration into two streams, Skilled Worker and Health Authority, and you choose between them based on your job offer.

The one-time temporary health initiative (registration deadline has passed) source

Separately, the program has a one-time, time-limited Temporary Rural / Remote Health Support initiative, meant to retain up to 250 workers already working for a health authority in a cleaning or security role in a rural or remote community. The official news page says registrations were accepted until 11:59 pm on October 7, 2026. That date has passed, and the news page (last updated August 26, 2026) announces no further extension. The full eligibility criteria are in the Skills Immigration Program Guide, which this site could not read this time, so they are not given here.

Job offer source

Both streams require a full-time, indeterminate (no end date) job offer. Skilled Worker: from an eligible B.C. employer, in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation. Health Authority: the employer must be a B.C. health authority and the occupation must be on the official Health Authority-eligible list (published on the official About the BC PNP page, and which includes 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, 32101 Licensed practical nurses and 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists, among others; dental assistants under 33100 must hold a B.C. licence, nurse aides under 33102 must be on the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker registry, and social and community service workers under 42201 need a diploma or degree in social services or community health services).

The employer must support you first source

Skilled Worker: you must have your employer’s support before registering. Health Authority: you must have the support of an authorized person at your health authority employer before applying. Both require a completed Employer Declaration Form.

Work experience source

Skilled Worker: at least two years of full-time equivalent work experience. Health Authority: the work experience required by the BC PNP and your B.C. health authority employer — the page gives no single figure.

Education and qualifications source

You must meet the minimum education credential for your occupation (for example a certificate, diploma or degree; for the Health Authority stream, the one your health authority employer requires), and the minimum qualification credentials for the occupation, such as a licence, registration, or professional certification and membership.

Language source

Both streams list a minimum of CLB 4. Targeted invitations can add their own bar — French-speaking school teachers, for example, need CLB 5 or higher in French to receive one (see “Which occupations get targeted invitations” below).

Wage and income source

Both streams must meet minimum wage and income requirements. The official page gives no amounts and says the complete requirements are in the Skills Immigration Program Guide, which this site could not read this time, so no figures are given here. Rely on the guide.

The eligibility table has exceptions source

The official page notes under its table that there are exceptions, and that the complete eligibility and requirements are in the Skills Immigration Program Guide. The conditions on this page are the web-page version, not the whole of it.

Which occupations get targeted invitations source

B.C. groups its priorities into Care, Build and Innovate and issues targeted invitations from lists. Care: a health care list (for example 31102 General practitioners and family physicians, 31120 Pharmacists, 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, 32101 Licensed practical nurses, 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists, 41300 Social workers; people with a 33102 job offer must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry to receive a targeted invitation); childcare is 42202 Early childhood educators only, with a one-year or five-year ECE certificate from the ECE Registry; education is French-speaking 41220 Secondary school teachers and 41221 Elementary and kindergarten teachers only, employed in B.C.’s public K-12 system with CLB 5 or higher in French; veterinary care is 31103 Veterinarians and 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (the invitations table also lists “NOC 32104 with valid professional designation” separately for this type, and these pages do not explain how it is applied). Build: the construction trades list is 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 and 72402 Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, with a valid trade certificate from, or an apprenticeship registered with, SkilledTradesBC matching the job offered. Innovate: High Economic Impact invitations target top talent across all sectors, which the page says includes experienced entrepreneurs. All of these targeted invitations go to people in the Skills Immigration registration pool.

Linking to Express Entry (the EEBC option) source

Both the Skilled Worker and Health Authority streams have an Express Entry BC (EEBC) option, which you may be able to use if you are already in the federal Express Entry pool and meet a stream’s criteria. In the page’s words, if you are nominated through EEBC your federal profile receives more points and your federal permanent residence application may be processed faster. When registering you select the stream whose name starts with “Express Entry BC”, so that the nomination is connected to your IRCC Express Entry profile.

Fees source

Registration is free; the application fee is $1,750 CAD; a request for review is $500 CAD. Fees are refunded only if you withdraw before the BC PNP begins assessing your application, and review fees are non-refundable. Fees can only be paid in the BC PNP Online portal — the page states cheques, bank transfers, wire transfers and gift cards are not accepted, and asks you to report any request to pay another way to PNP.fraud.tips@gov.bc.ca. Your permanent residence application to IRCC carries a separate fee.

Processing time for the B.C. step (official estimate) source

The page says around 80% of cases are processed within: application, 3 months; post-nomination request, 1 month; request for review, 6 months. The actual time depends on when the BC PNP receives your complete application, the complexity and volume of cases, the program’s capacity and the number of available nominations. These are times for a BC PNP decision and do not include IRCC’s processing of your permanent residence application.

1. Choose your stream: Skilled Worker or Health Authority, based on your job offer, and decide whether to use the EEBC option (which requires being in the federal Express Entry pool).
2. Register in the BC PNP Online portal: create a profile, select your stream and complete every section (for EEBC, pick the stream whose name starts with “Express Entry BC”). Your registration is then scored on human capital factors (work experience, education, language) and economic factors (wage, and where in B.C. the job is), and placed in that stream’s registration pool for up to 12 months or until you are invited.
3. Wait for an invitation, which most streams require. Once invited you have up to 30 calendar days to submit a complete application; if you miss it the invitation expires and your registration is removed from the pool, and you must register again to stay in. The page also warns not to apply if you no longer meet the criteria, as the application may be denied.
4. Submit your BC PNP application: pay the fee, include all required documents and complete every section in the portal. It is assessed under the Provincial Immigration Programs Act and Regulation and against your stream’s criteria.
5. Wait for the nomination decision. If approved you receive a nomination package with a Confirmation of Nomination letter and instructions for applying to IRCC; if refused you may request a review or consider other immigration options.
6. Apply to IRCC for permanent residence before your Confirmation of Nomination expires. While you wait you must comply with all conditions of nomination; you become a permanent resident only once IRCC approves.

• B.C. issues invitations by invitation type, often several on the same day, each with its own cut-off. On the official invitations page, 6 August 2026 alone was split into childcare, health, education, veterinary care and construction trades. A cut-off therefore belongs to the invitation type named beside it — comparing a childcare round (early childhood educators only) with another occupation compares the wrong things. For the complete list of rounds, rely on the official invitations page.
• The “N/A” under High Economic Impact does not mean there is no bar. On the official invitations table this type is often issued in two rows: one selecting on wage and occupation (for example on 20 August 2026: at least $55/hour and $110,000/year in NOC 0, 1, 2 or 3, minimum score N/A, 337 invitations) and one selecting on points (the same day, a minimum of 132 points, 265 invitations). “N/A” only means that row did not select on score.
• The page states invitations are issued to qualified registrations received before the date of the draw. Registering does not guarantee an invitation, and a registration stays in the pool for at most 12 months.
• A nomination is not permanent residence: B.C. only nominates, and IRCC decides. You must apply to IRCC before the Confirmation of Nomination expires and comply with the conditions of nomination while you wait.
• This page is compiled from the official site and the official pages govern. The page itself says its table has exceptions and that the full rules are in the Skills Immigration Program Guide. That guide is a PDF this site could not read this time, so the wage and income amounts and the full eligibility criteria of the Temporary Rural / Remote Health Support initiative are left out here.

The records below show related invitation rounds and cut-off scores. Eligibility requirements and cut-offs can vary by round; check the relevant category before comparing scores.