BC PNP Health Authority Stream: PR for B.C. Health Care Workers

The Health Authority stream is part of the Skills Immigration category of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). It lets B.C.'s public health care employers support the workers they hire for permanent residence.

On April 23, 2026, B.C. announced a new focus on three objectives: Care, Build and Innovate. Health care is the core of the Care objective. WelcomeBC said the Health Authority stream continues for public sector health care professionals, while other streams, such as the international graduate streams and the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream, were cut.

The stream has two versions:

• Health Authority (base): after nomination, you apply to IRCC through a separate federal application.
• Express Entry BC Health Authority: for people who also qualify for federal Express Entry. The nomination adds 600 points to your federal score.

For the full list of B.C. streams and their status, see our British Columbia guide.

WelcomeBC lists these requirements for the Health Authority stream (as of September 2026):

• A job offer that is full-time and indeterminate (no end date) from a B.C. health authority employer.
• Work experience that meets the requirements of both the BC PNP and your health authority employer. Unlike the Skilled Worker stream, the rule depends on your role, so check the program guide for your occupation.
• Language ability of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in English or French, shown with an approved test.
• Qualifications and licensing. You must be qualified for the job. Regulated health professions in B.C. require registration with the right regulatory college before you can practice.
• Legal status if you are in Canada.

Which employers count?

The employer must be one of B.C.'s public health authorities. These include the regional health authorities (Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health and Vancouver Coastal Health), the Provincial Health Services Authority and the First Nations Health Authority. The program guide lists all eligible employers. A private clinic, a private care home or a staffing agency is usually not a health authority, even if it treats public patients. If your employer is not a health authority, look at the Skilled Worker stream instead.

Physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives

Some health professionals, especially doctors, work under contract rather than as employees. The Skills Immigration Program Guide explains how these professionals can qualify. Read it closely, or ask the health authority's recruitment team, before you register.

B.C. is short of health workers across the province, especially outside Metro Vancouver. WelcomeBC says that since 2022 the BC PNP has nominated 3,887 health care professionals, including 475 doctors and 1,228 nurses and nurse practitioners.

Under the Care objective, B.C. also invites people in the Skilled Worker stream if they work in one of 36 in-demand occupations in health care, education, child care and veterinary care. That means a health worker employed by a private employer can still be a priority, just through a different stream.

B.C. expects at least 35% of all nominations in 2026 to go to people working outside Metro Vancouver. Health authority jobs in the North, the Interior and on Vancouver Island fit that goal well.

At the federal level, Canada also runs Express Entry draws for health care workers and for physicians with Canadian experience. Some people qualify for both routes.

Like the Skilled Worker stream, the Health Authority stream uses online registration.

1. You create a profile and register. B.C. scores you on human capital factors (experience, education and language) and economic factors (wage and job location).
2. Your registration stays active for up to 12 months, or until you get an invitation.
3. B.C. invites candidates in draws. Health Authority candidates are often invited in their own targeted rounds.
4. You submit a full application with documents and the fee by the deadline in your invitation.

Your employer must support the application. Keep your job details accurate. If your job offer changes or ends, you must report it to the BC PNP.

• B.C. application fee: $1,750 (raised from $1,475 on January 22, 2026).
• Federal fees: IRCC charges permanent residence fees after you are nominated. The current amounts are on canada.ca.
• Other costs: a language test, licensing and credential assessment fees for your profession, a medical exam, police certificates and translations.

WelcomeBC publishes current processing times for Skills Immigration applications. Federal processing is usually faster if you use the Express Entry BC option than if you use the base option. See our processing times tool for federal estimates.

In 2026, B.C. added a temporary, one-time initiative inside Skills Immigration for health authority employees in lower-skilled support jobs. The Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative accepts registrations from up to 250 cleaners and security workers who are direct employees of a B.C. public health authority and work outside Metro Vancouver, Central Okanagan and the Capital Regional District. Registration is open until 11:59 pm on October 7, 2026.

This initiative is separate from the Health Authority stream and has no Express Entry BC option.

If your employer is not a health authority, look at the Skilled Worker stream, which also targets health occupations in 2026. Health workers can also compare other provinces, such as Saskatchewan's Health Talent Pathway and Alberta's Dedicated Health Care Pathway. For how provincial programs compare with federal ones, see Express Entry vs PNP.

If your case is complex (a past refusal, a gap in status or a criminal record), speak with a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before you apply.