British Columbia invites skilled workers and entrepreneurs, i.e., British Columbia held two provincial immigration draws between May 5 and May 6, inviting skilled workers and entrepreneurs to apply for provincial nomination.
Through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), the province issued at least 341 invitations to apply (ITAs) across its Skills Immigration (SI) and Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) categories.
Most invitations were issued to skilled workers in healthcare, education, veterinary care, and construction trades.
These draws were the first held after British Columbia announced major changes to its Provincial Nominee Program on April 23.
Draw Details
British Columbia started May with back-to-back selection rounds focused on workers and entrepreneurs who can help meet labour shortages and support the province’s economy.
Skills Immigration Selection
On May 6, the BCPNP issued 333 invitations to skilled workers across four targeted occupational groups.
The province organized these selections around two major priorities: care and construction.
These priorities are part of British Columbia’s broader strategy to attract workers in sectors facing labour shortages.
Construction trades workers received the highest number of invitations, accounting for more than one-third of all invitations issued in this draw.
The details of the draw are listed below:
| Core Objective | Occupational Category | Number Of NOCs Targeted | Invitations Issued | Minimum Score |
| Care | Health | 31 | 117 | 108 |
| Care | Veterinary | 2 | 9 | 100 |
| Care | Education | 1 | 86 | 115 |
| Build | Construction trades | 9 | 121 | 108 |
Targeted Health Care 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 profs
- 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 select 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
Targeted Veterinary Care Occupations
- NOC 31103 Veterinarians
- NOC 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
- Must have valid professional designation.
Targeted Education Occupations
- NOC 42202 Early Childhood Educators
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
This includes workers who have apprenticeships registered with SkilledTradesBC.
This was the fourth Skills Immigration selection round held by the province in 2026.
Earlier draws mainly focused on wage levels, job offers, and minimum scores.
So far this year, British Columbia has issued 1,706 invitations through the Skills Immigration category.
As of May 6, there were 9,967 profiles registered in the province’s Skills Immigration pool.
The table below shows how candidates are distributed by score range:
| Score Range | Number Of Registrations |
| 0 – 59 | 215 |
| 60 – 69 | 401 |
| 70 – 79 | 853 |
| 80 – 89 | 1,353 |
| 90 – 99 | 1,781 |
| 100 – 109 | 2,107 |
| 110 – 119 | 1,550 |
| 120 – 129 | 1,148 |
| 130 – 139 | 522 |
| 140 – 149 | 32 |
| 150+ | 5 |
Entrepreneur Immigration Selection
On May 5, the BCPNP also invited entrepreneurs planning to start or buy businesses in British Columbia.
The province issued at least eight invitations through its Entrepreneur Immigration streams.
The details are listed below:
| Stream | Invitations Issued | Minimum Score |
| Base | 8 | 115 |
| Regional | <5 | 115 |
This was the first entrepreneur draw of 2026 where both streams had the same minimum score.
The Base Stream is for entrepreneurs looking to establish or purchase a business anywhere in British Columbia.
The Regional Stream is designed for entrepreneurs planning to start businesses outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District.
The two streams have different financial and eligibility requirements.
The Regional Stream also requires candidates to complete an exploratory visit and receive a referral from a participating community.
The Base Stream does not require either of these steps.
So far in 2026, British Columbia has held eight entrepreneur draws in total.
Five draws were conducted through the Base Stream, while three were held through the Regional Stream.
Up to now, the province has issued at least 49 invitations to entrepreneur candidates this year.
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