On July 9 2026 the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held its eighth Skills Immigration (SI) draw of the year, issuing 343 invitations to highly qualified workers in priority care and construction occupations.
Draw results
The invitations were allocated across four occupational categories aligned with the province’s “care” and “build” core objectives:
| Core objective | Occupational category | NOCs targeted | Invitations issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care | Childcare | 191 | 108 |
| Care | Healthcare | 311 | 1696 |
| Care | Veterinary care | 258 | 8 |
| Build | Construction trades | 913 | 697 |
Early childhood educators (ECEs) were the only group within the childcare category to receive invitations (422 02). Candidates in this group needed a one‑year or five‑year ECE certificate issued by the ECE registry.
Healthcare occupations eligible for invitations
The draw included a broad range of health‑related NOCs, such as:
- Managers in health care (30010)
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100)
- General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
- Dentists (31110)
- Pharmacists (31120)
- Dietitians and nutritionists (31121)
- Psychologists (31200)
- Physiotherapists (31202)
- Occupational therapists (31203)
- Nursing coordinators and supervisors (31300)
- Registered nurses (31301)
- Nurse practitioners (31302)
- Licensed practical nurses (32101)
- Paramedical occupations (32102)
- Dental hygienists (32111)
- Medical laboratory technologists (32120)
- Medical radiation technologists (32121)
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners (32200)
- Social workers (41300)
Candidates with a job offer under NOC 33102 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) were eligible only if they were registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.
Veterinary occupations
- Veterinarians (31103)
- Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (32104) – required a valid professional designation.
Construction trades occupations
The draw targeted the following trades, each requiring a valid trade certificate from SkilledTradesBC or registration in an apprenticeship with SkilledTradesBC that matched the job offer:
- Welders and related machine operators (72106)
- Electricians (except industrial and power system) (72200)
- Industrial electricians (72201)
- Plumbers (72300)
- Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (72301)
- Carpenters (72310)
- Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
- Heavy‑duty equipment mechanics (72401)
- Heating, refrigeration and air‑conditioning mechanics (72402)
Eligibility criteria for targeted invitations
To qualify for a targeted invitation, applicants generally needed to meet one or more of the following:
- Hold the required professional designation or trade certificate in British Columbia.
- Possess a job offer that aligns with the targeted occupation and meets the province’s wage or skill‑level thresholds.
- Demonstrate appropriate education level, work experience, and language ability.
- Show intent to reside and work in a specific region of British Columbia.
- Align with strategic provincial labour demands or pilot projects.
Skills Immigration registration pool
Candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) registration, which is scored and entered into the SI pool. As of the July 7 update, the pool contained 8,683 registrations distributed across score bands:
- 0‑59: 209 registrations
- 60‑69: 381 registrations
- 70‑79: 729 registrations
- 80‑89: 1,227 registrations
- 90‑99: 1,496 registrations
- 100‑109: 1,728 registrations (largest share, 19.9 % of total)
- 110‑119: 1,369 registrations
- 120‑129: 1,058 registrations
- 130‑139: 440 registrations
- 140‑149: 34 registrations
- 150+: 12 registrations
Following the July 9 draw, the pool likely decreased by at least 343 entries, not accounting for expirations or new registrations since that date.
Overall, the BCPNP has issued at least 3,107 SI invitations to date in 2026, with future draws expected to prioritize different attributes based on evolving provincial labour needs.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
