British Columbia close to skilled worker limit in 2025’s first draw

British Columbia held its first skilled worker immigration draw of 2025 on May 8. This draw took place under the province’s skills immigration program. A total of 94 people received invitations to apply for permanent residency.

Selection Based on Two Key Factors

Officials selected candidates in two ways. Half of the invitations went to workers earning at least $105 per hour. These workers also needed to hold a skilled job in the highest category under Canada’s job classification system. The other half of the invitations went to candidates who scored at least 150 points on the B.C. immigration scoring system.

Very Limited Number of Invitations

This draw came with a warning. B.C. had earlier announced that it would only invite around 100 skilled workers this year under the “high economic impact” category. This is because the federal government gave the province fewer nomination spaces for 2025. So, spots for skilled workers are now extremely limited.

More Draws May Follow Different Rules

Officials said future draws may consider other things. These could include your education, your job offer, your language test scores, and how long you’ve worked in your field. Where you plan to live in B.C. and whether your job fills a special need in the province could also matter.

Draws for Entrepreneurs Were Held Earlier

Before this skilled worker draw, B.C. had only invited entrepreneurs in 2025. This is the first time skilled workers got a chance this year.

Only 1,100 New Applications Allowed This Year

In total, British Columbia will accept just 1,100 new skilled immigration applications in 2025. That number includes all categories combined. If all 94 people from this draw get approved, very few spots will remain.

Focus Will Now Shift to Health and Business

Most of the remaining spots will go to front-line healthcare workers and managers. A few will also go to entrepreneurs. These two groups are now B.C.’s top immigration priorities.

Big Changes in Immigration Programs

B.C. also made major changes to its immigration system this year. Some of the changes include:

• No general or priority job draws for all of 2025
  
• A waitlist for post-graduate stream applicants from late 2024 to early 2025
  
• A delay in launching three student streams
  
• Only front-line healthcare workers and managers can apply under the health stream
  
• Early Childhood Educator Assistants are no longer eligible; only full ECEs are
  

These changes mean getting invited through the B.C. program is now much harder.