BC PNP Skilled Worker Stream: Requirements and 2026 Priorities

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is how the province picks economic immigrants for permanent residence. The Skilled Worker stream is part of its Skills Immigration category. It is for people who already have a job offer from a B.C. employer in a skilled occupation.

After B.C. restructured the program on April 23, 2026, Skills Immigration has only two main streams:

• Skilled Worker, for jobs in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• Health Authority, for jobs with a B.C. public health authority

Both streams have an Express Entry BC option. If you also qualify for the federal Express Entry system, a nomination through that option adds 600 points to your federal score and uses faster federal processing.

The province does not give you permanent residence itself. B.C. nominates you, and then you apply to IRCC. IRCC makes the final decision on medical, security and admissibility checks. For how provincial programs fit together across Canada, see our Provincial Nominee Program overview and the British Columbia guide.

WelcomeBC lists these core requirements for the Skilled Worker stream (as of September 2026):

• A job offer that is full-time and indeterminate (no end date) from an eligible B.C. employer, in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation.
• Employer support. Your employer must support your application and complete the employer declarations. The employer must meet B.C.'s own requirements, such as being established in the province.
• At least two years of full-time (or equivalent) experience in skilled work.
• Language ability of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in English or French, shown with an approved test. See our language test guide.
• Qualifications for the job, including any license or certification B.C. requires for your occupation.
• A wage that meets B.C.'s minimum income requirement. The minimum depends on your family size and on whether the job is inside or outside Metro Vancouver. B.C. updated these thresholds in May 2026 to match 2024 Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) figures. Check the current table in the program guide.
• Legal status if you are already in Canada.

Job offers with an end date

Most job offers must be indeterminate. The updated program guide makes limited exceptions. Before May 2026, only university professors and lecturers could use a limited-term offer. The May 2026 guide also allows elementary and secondary school teachers to use an offer of at least one year that still has at least 120 days left, as reported by Immigration.ca.

Occupations that can't be used

B.C. keeps a list of occupations that are not eligible in any Skills Immigration stream. According to Immigration.ca's summary of the May 2026 guide, 12 more occupations became ineligible on June 13, 2026, including administrative officers and assistants, retail sales supervisors, food service supervisors, real estate agents and religious leaders. Check the current list in the program guide before you register.

Meeting the rules does not guarantee an invitation. Since April 2026, B.C. sends targeted invitations based on three objectives it calls Care, Build and Innovate.

CIC News reported that the Build trades include welders, two types of electricians, plumbers, steamfitters and pipefitters, carpenters, millwrights, heavy-duty equipment mechanics and HVAC mechanics.

B.C. also expects at least 35% of all nominations to go to people working in communities outside Metro Vancouver. If your job is in a regional community, that can help your score and your chances.

B.C. reports that since 2022 it has nominated 3,887 health care professionals, 2,957 licensed child care workers and 826 construction and trades workers through Skills Immigration. These numbers show where the program has put its focus.

The Skilled Worker stream uses an online registration system. You don't send a full application first.

1. You create a profile and register. B.C. gives you a score based on human capital factors (work experience, education and language) and economic factors (your wage and where in B.C. the job is located).
2. Your registration stays active for up to 12 months, or until you receive an invitation.
3. B.C. holds draws and invites people from the pool. In 2026, most draws target the Care, Build and Innovate priorities rather than the highest scores overall.
4. If invited, you submit a full application with documents by the deadline in your invitation.

According to the May 2026 guide, as summarized by Immigration.ca, you may hold only one active BC PNP registration at a time, and IELTS One Skill Retake results are no longer accepted. Always use the real, verifiable details of your job offer. B.C. checks employers and can refuse or withdraw a nomination if information is false.

• B.C. application fee: $1,750, paid when you submit a Skills Immigration application. B.C. raised it from $1,475 on January 22, 2026.
• Federal fees: After nomination, you pay IRCC's permanent residence fees. IRCC lists the current amounts on canada.ca.
• Other costs: language test, document translations, a medical exam, police certificates and biometrics.

Your employer cannot charge you for the job offer or for its part of the process. If anyone asks you to pay for a job offer, read our scam protection guide.

B.C.'s 2026 federal allocation started at 5,254 nominations. With the August increase, WelcomeBC says it plans to use its full allocation by December 31, 2026. For background on the overhaul, see our BC PNP 2026 overhaul status page.

If you were nominated through the regular (base) Skilled Worker stream, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence outside Express Entry. If you were nominated through the Express Entry BC option, you accept the nomination in your federal profile, receive 600 extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, and usually get an invitation in a later federal draw for provincial nominees. Our CRS guide explains the points.

While you wait, keep your job and your legal status. If your job ends or your employer changes, you must tell the BC PNP. The updated guide says applicants must report changes within 15 calendar days, and employers within 30 days, as summarized by Immigration.ca.

If your situation is complex (a past refusal, a status gap or a criminal record), talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before you apply. Our guide on how to verify a lawyer or consultant shows how to check a license.