The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is how the province of British Columbia selects skilled workers it wants to recommend to the federal government for permanent residence. A provincial nomination does not grant status by itself: it is a recommendation that British Columbia sends to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which makes the final decision and runs all health, security, and admissibility checks. Skilled workers apply through the Skills Immigration category, which uses a points-based tool called the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS): you register a profile, receive a score, and compete for an invitation to apply that British Columbia issues in periodic draws. The BC PNP changed significantly in 2025 and 2026, partly because the federal government reduced the number of nominations British Columbia is allowed to issue, so the province narrowed its focus to priority occupations and closed or paused several streams. Because allocations, active streams, draw frequency, and minimum scores all change, treat every number on this page as a snapshot and confirm the current rules on the official BC PNP website at WelcomeBC before you rely on them. This page is educational and is not immigration advice. (Entrepreneur Immigration, BC's separate stream for business owners, is not covered here.)
What the BC PNP is and how it fits with federal immigration
British Columbia, like most provinces, runs a Provincial Nominee Program so it can recommend immigrants who match its labour market and economic needs. Within the BC PNP there are two broad categories: Skills Immigration, for skilled workers, and Entrepreneur Immigration, a separate category for business owners and key staff. This guide focuses on Skills Immigration. A nomination is the province saying to IRCC that it wants to keep this person; IRCC then assesses the permanent residence application against federal law, including medical, criminal, and security admissibility, and issues or refuses the visa.
Skills Immigration nominations come in two delivery models. An enhanced (Express Entry) nomination is for candidates who are already in the federal Express Entry pool: it is linked to Express Entry and, once accepted, adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. A base nomination is processed outside Express Entry: the nominee applies for permanent residence directly to IRCC on paper or through IRCC's portal rather than through the Express Entry pool. Both models still require you to be selected by British Columbia first through SIRS.
What this means for you: the BC PNP can be a route to permanent residence for people whose federal CRS score on its own would not be high enough for a regular Express Entry invitation, because the provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. But you must qualify under one of British Columbia's currently active streams and be invited, and the province has tightened who qualifies. Always confirm the active streams and requirements on the BC PNP website.
Skills Immigration streams and the 2026 changes
Historically the BC PNP Skills Immigration category offered several streams, including Skilled Worker, Health Authority, International Graduate, International Post-Graduate, and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS). That lineup changed substantially. In April 2026 British Columbia announced a major restructuring and reoriented the program around three stated priorities it describes as Care (health, child care, and veterinary roles), Build (priority construction trades), and Innovate (selected high-impact, high-skilled roles). As part of this, several pathways were closed or did not proceed: the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream was permanently closed (its last invitations were issued in December 2024), the planned International Graduate student streams were cancelled, the legacy International Post-Graduate stream closed in early 2026, and targeted technology draws were not resumed. Because these changes are recent and the province may adjust them again, confirm exactly which streams are open on the BC PNP website before you plan around any of them.
As of mid-2026, the Skilled Worker stream remained the main pathway for most skilled applicants, and a Health Authority stream remained available for workers hired directly by one of British Columbia's public health authorities, reflecting the program's Care priority. The Skilled Worker stream generally expects a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a British Columbia employer in a skilled occupation, along with qualifying skilled work experience; the Health Authority stream is broader on the occupation but ties the job offer to a public health authority employer. Detailed eligibility, including National Occupational Classification (NOC) requirements and any minimum education or language conditions, is set by British Columbia and can change, so read the official stream requirements rather than relying on a summary.
The practical takeaway is that British Columbia is now selecting a narrower group of candidates than it did a few years ago, concentrated in health care, construction trades, and a small set of high-impact roles. If your occupation does not fall within the province's current priorities, the BC PNP may not be open to you in 2026 even if you would have qualified under an older stream. Confirm your specific occupation and stream on the BC PNP website.
How SIRS registration and the points system work
Skills Immigration uses the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS), a points-based ranking tool. You first create and submit a registration profile describing your job offer, work experience, education, language ability, and other factors. SIRS then assigns your registration a score. Registrations are ranked against each other, and British Columbia periodically issues invitations to apply to the highest-scoring registrations, often subject to a minimum score that can vary from one draw to the next. Receiving an invitation is what lets you submit a full application; a registration on its own is not an application.
SIRS scores registrations out of a published maximum, and several factors feed the score, including the wage of your British Columbia job offer, your skill level and work experience, your education, and your language test results. The hourly wage of the job offer is widely understood to be one of the most influential factors, which is why two candidates with similar backgrounds can receive very different scores. British Columbia publishes the SIRS scoring grid, and it is the authoritative source: if you want to estimate your standing, work from the official grid rather than third-party calculators, and remember that the grid itself can be revised.
What this means for you: a high SIRS score improves your odds of being invited, but the threshold is set draw by draw based on how many invitations the province issues and how competitive the pool is. Because British Columbia's nomination allocation was reduced for 2025 and remained below what the province requested for 2026, the program has been issuing fewer and more targeted invitations, and minimum scores can move. Treat any score figure you read as a past data point, not a guarantee, and confirm current draw results and minimum scores on the BC PNP website.
Invitation draws, allocations, and the 600 CRS boost
British Columbia issues invitations to apply in draws. Draws can be general (open to eligible registrations above a minimum score) or targeted to specific priorities, such as health, construction trades, or other occupations the province is prioritizing in a given period. The number of invitations per draw and the minimum score both vary, and during 2025 the province paused general and priority-occupation draws for part of the year because of its limited nomination space. Draw frequency, the types of draws held, and the cut-off scores are volatile, so do not assume past patterns will repeat; confirm the latest draw activity on the BC PNP website.
A key reason these details shifted is the federal nomination allocation. IRCC sets how many nominations each province may issue per year. British Columbia's allocation was cut for 2025 to roughly 4,000 nominations, well below the level it had used in prior years, which forced the program to pause draws and narrow its streams. For 2026, British Columbia announced an allocation of approximately 5,254 nominations, higher than 2025 but still below the larger figure the province had requested. Because the province must work within this federal cap, the number and size of draws in any year depend on how much allocation is left. These allocation numbers can be revised, so confirm the current figure on official sources.
If you receive and accept an enhanced (Express Entry) nomination from British Columbia, IRCC adds 600 points to your CRS score. In practice that almost always lifts a candidate above the cut-off in the next federal Express Entry round, which is why a provincial nomination is often described as the strongest single boost available in Express Entry. The 600-point value is set by federal rules, not by British Columbia. A base nomination does not add CRS points because it is processed outside Express Entry; instead, the nominee applies for permanent residence directly to IRCC. Always confirm whether the stream you are invited under is enhanced or base, and remember that IRCC, not the province, makes the final permanent residence decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BC PNP and how is it different from Express Entry?
The BC PNP is British Columbia's Provincial Nominee Program: the province selects skilled workers and recommends them to IRCC for permanent residence. Express Entry is the federal system that ranks candidates by CRS score. The two connect through enhanced (Express Entry) nominations, where a BC nomination adds 600 CRS points. IRCC always makes the final decision.
What is SIRS and how is my score calculated?
SIRS is the Skills Immigration Registration System, a points-based tool. You submit a registration profile and SIRS scores it out of a published maximum based on factors such as your job offer wage, skill level, work experience, education, and language results. The job offer wage is one of the most influential factors. Use the official BC PNP scoring grid, which can change, to understand your standing.
Does a BC PNP nomination give 600 CRS points?
An enhanced (Express Entry) BC PNP nomination adds 600 CRS points once you accept it, which usually secures an invitation in the next federal Express Entry round. A base nomination does not add CRS points because it is processed outside Express Entry; the nominee applies directly to IRCC. Confirm which type of nomination your stream uses on the BC PNP website.
Which BC PNP Skills Immigration streams are open in 2026?
As of mid-2026, the Skilled Worker stream remained the main pathway and a Health Authority stream remained available. Following an April 2026 restructuring around Care, Build, and Innovate priorities, the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream was permanently closed, planned International Graduate streams were cancelled, the International Post-Graduate stream closed in early 2026, and tech draws were not resumed. Streams change, so confirm the current list on the BC PNP website.
Did BC's nomination allocation get cut?
Yes. The federal government reduced British Columbia's allocation to roughly 4,000 nominations for 2025, below prior years, which led the province to pause draws and narrow its streams. For 2026 British Columbia announced an allocation of about 5,254, higher than 2025 but still below what the province requested. These figures can be revised, so confirm the current allocation on official sources.
How often does BC PNP hold draws and what score do I need?
British Columbia issues invitations in periodic general or targeted draws, but the frequency, draw types, number of invitations, and minimum scores all vary, and the province paused some draws during 2025. There is no fixed cut-off score; it is set draw by draw based on the pool and remaining allocation. Treat any score you read as a past data point and confirm current draws on the BC PNP website.
Do I need a job offer to apply to the BC PNP Skills Immigration streams?
Generally yes. The Skilled Worker stream typically requires a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a British Columbia employer in a skilled occupation, and the Health Authority stream ties the offer to a public health authority employer. Exact requirements, including NOC, education, and language conditions, are set by British Columbia and can change, so read the official stream requirements rather than a summary.
Is the BC PNP the same as Entrepreneur Immigration?
No. The BC PNP has two categories: Skills Immigration, for skilled workers, which this page covers, and Entrepreneur Immigration, a separate category for business owners and certain key staff with its own requirements and selection process. If you are looking at a business pathway, review the Entrepreneur Immigration rules on the BC PNP website rather than the Skills Immigration ones.
Guides
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.