On September 10 2026, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) issued 429 invitations for provincial nomination to foreign‑national workers in four targeted sectors: healthcare, construction trades, early‑childhood education and veterinary care. Invited candidates have 30 days to submit a nomination application; successful nominees can later apply for permanent residence and, if needed, a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) under a temporary measure that removes the requirement to wait for an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) on their permanent‑residence application.
Targeted occupations
Healthcare (31 NOC codes)
Key occupations and their NOC codes include:
- Audiologists & speech‑language pathologists – 31112
- Cardiology technologists & electrophysiological diagnostic technologists – 32123
- Chiropractors – 31201
- Dental hygienists & dental therapists – 32111
- Dental technologists & technicians – 32112
- Dentists – 31110
- Dietitians & nutritionists – 31121
- General practitioners & family physicians – 31102
- Kinesiologists & other professional therapy occupations – 31204
- Licensed practical nurses – 32101
- Managers in health care – 30010
- Medical laboratory assistants – 33101
- Medical laboratory technologists – 32120
- Medical radiation technologists – 32121
- Medical sonographers – 32122
- Nurse aides, orderlies & patient service associates* – 33102
- Nurse practitioners – 31302
- Nursing coordinators & supervisors – 31300
- Occupational therapists – 31203
- Other professional occupations in health diagnosing & treating – 31209
- Paramedical occupations – 32102
- Pharmacists – 31120
- Physician assistants, midwives & allied health professionals – 31303
- Physiotherapists – 31202
- Psychologists – 31200
- Registered nurses & registered psychiatric nurses – 31301
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists & cardiopulmonary technologists – 32103
- Social workers – 41300
- Specialists in clinical & laboratory medicine – 31100
- Specialists in surgery – 31101
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners & acupuncturists – 32200
*Candidates with a NOC 33102 job offer must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry to qualify.
Construction trades (9 NOC codes) – eligibility required a valid SkilledTradesBC certificate or an apprenticeship registration that matches the job offer.
- Carpenters – 72310
- Construction millwrights & industrial mechanics – 72400
- Electricians (except industrial & power‑system) – 72200
- Heating, refrigeration & air‑conditioning mechanics – 72402
- Heavy‑duty equipment mechanics – 72401
- Industrial electricians – 72201
- Plumbers – 72300
- Steamfitters, pipefitters & sprinkler‑system installers – 72301
- Welders & related machine operators – 72106
Early‑childhood education (1 NOC code) – applicants needed a one‑year or five‑year ECE Certificate from the ECE Registry.
- Early childhood educators – 42202
Veterinary care (2 NOC codes)
Candidates are first required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile; scores are calculated from the information provided and used to rank applicants within the pool. Periodic draws invite the highest‑ranking candidates who meet the targeted criteria. Nominees who receive provincial nomination can apply for a Canadian work permit. Those who have already filed a permanent‑residence application may request a Bridging Open Work Permit, and, since 9 June 2026, nominees in the base PNP stream can obtain BOWPs earlier than before, thanks to a temporary measure that waives the AOR requirement. Source article: www.cicnews.com
Additional draw context
Skills Immigration registration pool (as of 1 September 2026)
Score range
Registrations
0‑59
212
60‑69
376
70‑79
750
80‑89
1,236
90‑99
1,444
100‑109
1,559
110‑119
1,273
120‑129
940
130‑139
193
140‑149
22
150 +
8
Total
8,013
Work‑permit implications
