BC Invites 500 Workers in Priority Occupation Draw

British Columbia invited at least 500 immigration candidates to apply for provincial nomination on August 6 through a targeted British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program draw focused on workers in five priority occupational groups.

The province said the round was aimed at “highly qualified workers” in sectors facing labour shortages, including construction trades, healthcare and childcare. The draw was the BCPNP’s 11th Skills Immigration selection round of 2026 and its 19th selection round overall.

Construction Trades Receive Most Invitations

The August 6 draw covered five occupational categories linked to British Columbia’s recently revised nomination priorities. The selections supported two of the province’s three main objectives, known as “care” and “build,” which are designed to address labour needs while attracting skilled workers.

Construction trades received the largest number of invitations, with 187 candidates invited across nine targeted National Occupational Classification occupations. The minimum score for this group was 88.

Childcare candidates received 183 invitations for one targeted occupation, with a minimum score of 102. Healthcare accounted for 124 invitations across 31 occupations, with a minimum score of 84.

British Columbia also issued six invitations in veterinary care across two occupations, where the minimum score was 72. Fewer than five invitations went to education candidates across two occupations, with a minimum score of 68.

This was British Columbia’s fifth occupation-specific selection round of 2026. Other draws this year have used factors such as minimum registration score, wages or salary, and the details of a candidate’s job offer.

Future Draws May Use Different Factors

The province has said future Skills Immigration draws may change depending on labour market and policy priorities.

Factors that may be considered include a candidate’s education level, field and location of study, professional designation in British Columbia, work experience, language ability, occupation, and the wage and skill level of a job offer.

The province may also consider whether a candidate plans to live and work in a particular region, as well as strategic priorities connected to labour shortages, government pilots or other initiatives.

As of August 6, the BCPNP had issued at least 4,236 invitations to apply for provincial nomination through the Skills Immigration category in 2026.

More Than 8,300 Candidates in Registration Pool

Foreign nationals seeking consideration under Skills Immigration must first submit an Expression of Interest registration. The BCPNP assigns each candidate a registration score based on the information in their profile and places them in the appropriate selection pool.

Candidates in the pool may later receive an invitation to apply for provincial nomination.

As of August 6, the Skills Immigration registration pool contained 8,306 profiles. The largest group was the 100-to-109 score range, with 1,651 candidates, representing 19.8 per cent of the pool.

Other major groups included 1,468 candidates scoring 90 to 99, 1,332 scoring 110 to 119, 1,219 scoring 80 to 89, and 1,023 scoring 120 to 129.

At the lower end, 212 candidates scored between zero and 59, while only 10 candidates had scores of 150 or higher.