On September 24 2026, British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) issued 714 invitations to apply for provincial nomination, targeting high‑earning and high‑scoring candidates under the province’s “innovate” objective.
Draw composition
- 426 skilled workers received invitations because their job offers were in TEER 0‑3 occupations with a wage of at least $52 per hour (≈ $105,000 per year).
- 288 workers were invited based on a minimum score of 131 points in the BCPNP ranking system.
Invited candidates have 30 days to submit a complete application for provincial nomination. Successful nominees can then apply to the federal government for permanent residence. Applicants already residing in Canada may be eligible for a bridging open work permit (BOWP) after filing their PR application.
Temporary federal measure
Effective June 9 2026, a temporary federal measure allows nominees applying for permanent residence through a base PNP stream to obtain a BOWP months faster, without first receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) for their PR application.
Draw details
- This was the 25th selection round of 2026 and the 8th “innovate”‑aligned round.
- Among all “innovate” rounds this year, it issued the largest number of invitations.
- British Columbia does not publish the specific occupations or sectors of candidates selected under this objective.
Cumulatively, the BCPNP has issued 3,974 invitations in 2026 based on wage/salary + job offer or registration score, and at least 6,128 invitations across all worker and entrepreneur streams for the year.
Future high‑economic‑impact selections
The province indicates that upcoming invitations may also consider:
- Education level, field of study, and location of completion
- Provincial professional designation
- Length and skill level of work experience
- Language proficiency
- Specific occupation
- Wage and/or skill level of the job offer
- Intent to reside in a particular region of BC
- Strategic priorities aligned with labour‑market needs, projects, or initiatives
BCPNP’s 2026 allocation provides 6,254 nomination spaces.
Skills Immigration pool
Candidates must first register an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile in the Skills Immigration (SI) category. As of September 1 2026, the SI registration pool contained 8,013 profiles distributed as follows:
| 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 |
Periodic draws are conducted from these pools, with invitations extended to candidates who meet the round‑specific selection criteria and hold competitive scores.
Key take‑aways for prospective applicants
- Ensure the job offer meets the $52 hour / $105,000 annual wage threshold and falls within a TEER 0‑3 occupation if applying via the wage‑based stream.
- For the points‑based stream, maintain a profile score of at least 131 points.
- Prepare a complete nomination application within the 30‑day window to avoid forfeiture.
- If already in Canada, explore eligibility for a bridging open work permit, especially under the June 2026 temporary measure that speeds up processing.
These invitations represent the most recent opportunity for high‑earning and high‑scoring foreign workers to secure provincial nomination and advance toward Canadian permanent residence through British Columbia’s BCPNP.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
