British Columbia invites skilled workers in key sectors, i.e., on July 9, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held a new targeted draw under its Skills Immigration (SI) stream. The province invited more skilled workers to apply for a provincial nomination.
This round focused on workers with experience in occupations that are currently in high demand. Invitations were issued to candidates working in care-related jobs and construction trades.
The latest selection was the eighth Skills Immigration draw held by British Columbia in 2026 and the 15th provincial selection round this year.
Draw Results
British Columbia issued at least 343 invitations across four occupational categories. The draw followed the province’s updated nomination priorities, which focus on meeting labour needs in important sectors.
The invitations were issued under two of the province’s main priority areas, i.e., Care and Build. These priorities are designed to attract skilled workers who can help fill job shortages across the province.
Most invitations in this draw were issued to candidates working in construction trades.
| Core Objective | Occupational Category | Number Of NOCs Targeted | Invitations Issued | Minimum Score |
| Care | Childcare | 1 | 91 | 108 |
| Care | Healthcare | 31 | 116 | 96 |
| Care | Veterinary care | 2 | <5 | 88 |
| Build | Construction trades | 9 | 136 | 97 |
Targeted Childcare Occupations
Only Early Childhood Educators (NOC 42202) received invitations under the childcare category.
To qualify for this targeted draw, candidates needed to hold either a one-year or a five-year Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Certificate issued by the ECE Registry.
Targeted Healthcare 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 professionals
- 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 elect. 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
Note: Candidates with a job offer under NOC 33102 were eligible for targeted healthcare invitations only if they were registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.
Targeted Veterinary Care Occupations
- 31103 Veterinarians
- 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
- Valid professional designation was required
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
Eligibility for a targeted invitation required construction trades workers to hold a valid trade certificate from SkilledTradesBC or be registered in an apprenticeship with SkilledTradesBC that aligned with their job offer.
This was the third Skills Immigration draw in 2026 that focused on selected occupations. Earlier draws also considered factors such as registration scores, wage levels, salaries, and the TEER category of a candidate’s job offer.
The province has also said that future invitation rounds may follow different selection priorities.
The province may select candidates from the Skills Immigration registration pool based on one or more of the following factors:
- Education – level, field of study, and location where the candidate completed it.
- Professional designation in the province
- Duration and skill level of one’s work experience
- Language ability
- Occupation
- Wage and/or skill level of one’s job offer
- Intent to live and work in a particular region of the province
- Strategic priorities that support provincial labour market needs or government pilot programs
As of July 9, British Columbia has issued at least 3,107 invitations through the Skills Immigration category in 2026.
Skills Immigration Registration Pool
Foreign nationals who want to apply through the Skills Immigration stream must first submit a registration, also known as an Expression of Interest (EOI).
After submitting a registration, candidates receive a score based on the information they provide. The province then places candidates into the appropriate registration pool.
From time to time, British Columbia invites the highest-ranked candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
As of July 7, the province reported 8,683 active registrations in the Skills Immigration registration pool.
| Score Range | Number Of Registrations |
| 0 – 59 | 209 |
| 60 – 69 | 381 |
| 70 – 79 | 729 |
| 80 – 89 | 1,227 |
| 90 – 99 | 1,496 |
| 100 – 109 | 1,728 |
| 110 – 119 | 1,369 |
| 120 – 129 | 1,058 |
| 130 – 139 | 440 |
| 140 – 149 | 34 |
| 150+ | 12 |
The largest number of candidates in the registration pool falls within the 100 to 109 score range, making it the biggest group in the system.
After the July 9 draw, the registration pool likely has at least 343 fewer candidates than it had on July 7. However, this number may change because some registrations may have expired, while new candidates may have entered the pool since then.
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