British Columbia Opens Provincial Nomination to Five Priority Sectors

British Columbia invites skilled workers in five priority sectors

British Columbia has invited more than 500 workers from five priority occupational sectors to apply for provincial nomination under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

The invitations were issued on Aug. 6, 2026 under an occupation-specific Skills Immigration draw targeting workers in the fields of childcare, healthcare, education, veterinary care and construction trades. More than 500 candidates were invited, with the largest groups in construction trades and childcare occupations. The selection was intended to support British Columbia’s labor market priorities under the province’s Care and Build objectives, which have been restructured.

August 6, 2026 BC PNP Invitation Summary

Category	Details
Province	British Columbia
Program	British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
Stream	Skills Immigration
Draw Date	August 6, 2026
Selection Type	Occupation-specific
Total Invitations	More than 500
Priority Areas	Childcare, healthcare, education, veterinary care and construction trades
Core Objectives	Care and Build
Program Authority	Government of British Columbia

The August 6 selection was the 11th Skills Immigration draw of 2026 and the province’s 19th round of selections overall during the year.

Invitation Results by Priority Sector

The invitations were distributed across five occupational categories.

Priority Sector	Number of NOCs Targeted	Invitations Issued	Minimum Score
Childcare	1	183	102
Healthcare	31	124	84
Education	2	<5	68
Veterinary Care	2	6	72
Construction Trades	9	187	88

The largest number of invitations went to construction trades workers, with 187 invitations, followed by childcare workers with 183.

Childcare Workers

Under the childcare category, British Columbia has issued 183 invitations to candidates.

The selection targeted only Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (NOC 42202).

Candidates were required to have a one-year or five-year Early Childhood Educator Certificate issued by the ECE Registry to receive a targeted invitation. The lowest score of this group was 102. The targeted selection builds on British Columbia’s commitment to grow its childcare workforce as part of the province’s broader Care priority.

Healthcare Workers

The province released 124 invitations to candidates in healthcare occupations with a minimum score of 84. The healthcare category included 31 NOC occupations including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, therapists, paramedical occupations, medical technologists,and social workers. Occupations targeted are:

Managers in health care — NOC 30010
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine — NOC 31100
Specialists in surgery — NOC 31101
General practitioners and family physicians — NOC 31102
Dentists — NOC 31110
Pharmacists — NOC 31120
Physiotherapists — NOC 31202
Occupational therapists — NOC 31203
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses — NOC 31301
Nurse practitioners — NOC 31302
Licensed practical nurses — NOC 32101
Paramedical occupations — NOC 32102
Respiratory therapists and related occupations — NOC 32103
Medical laboratory technologists — NOC 32120
Medical radiation technologists — NOC 32121
Medical sonographers — NOC 32122
Social workers — NOC 41300

NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) candidates were only eligible for targeted healthcare invitations if they enrolled with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.

French-Speaking Teachers Receive Invitations

British Columbia also invited a small number of candidates working in targeted education occupations. The education category covered:

NOC 41220 — Secondary school teachers
NOC 41221 — Elementary and kindergarten teachers

The targeted invitations were limited to French-speaking teachers.

Candidates needed to have declared employment in British Columbia’s K-12 education system and demonstrate NCLC 5 or higher in French. Fewer than five invitations were issued in this category, with a minimum score of 68.

Veterinary Care Workers

The province issued six invitations under the veterinary care category.

The targeted occupations were:

NOC 31103 —Veterinarians
NOC 32104 — Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians

Candidates in these occupations were required to hold a valid professional designation. The minimum score for the category was 72. Veterinary care is included within British Columbia’s Care priority, reflecting the province’s broader approach to addressing workforce needs across essential services.

Construction Trades Workers

Construction trades represented the largest group in the August 6 selection, with 187 invitations issued at a minimum score of 88. The nine targeted NOC occupations were:

NOC 72106 — Welders and related machine operators
NOC 72200 — Electricians, except industrial and power system
NOC 72201 — Industrial electricians
NOC 72300 — Plumbers
NOC 72301 — Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
NOC 72310 — Carpenters
NOC 72400 — Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
NOC 72401 — Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
NOC 72402 — Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics

To qualify for a targeted construction invitation, workers needed to hold a valid trade certificate from SkilledTradesBC or be registered in an apprenticeship with SkilledTradesBC that aligned with their job offer.

British Columbia's Care and Build Priorities

The new intake meets two of British Columbia’s three core BC PNP goals: Care and Build. The province’s current immigration strategy is built around three core objectives:

Care

The Care objective is for workers providing health care, education, child care and veterinary care. British Columbia has identified these as key sectors of workforce need and has introduced targeted invitations for qualifying workers.

Build/Construct

The build objective is about construction delivery, major infrastructure projects, and certified skilled trades. Nine key construction trades have been identified for targeted invitations, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, and several mechanical trades.

Innovate

The third objective is to innovate. This involves attracting a broad range of highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs to support economic growth, productivity, and innovation. The August 6 draw was specifically dedicated to the Care and Build priorities.

How British Columbia Chooses Workers

Generally, foreign nationals who want to be considered through BC PNP Skills Immigration submit a registration through the province’s online system. The candidate is presented with a registration score according to the info in their profile and sorted into the relevant pool for consideration. Candidates are then invited at regular intervals who are most likely to meet the economic and labor-market needs of British Columbia. The province may consider factors including:

Education and field of study.
Location of study.
Professional designation in British Columbia.
Length and skill level of work experience.
Language proficiency.
Occupation. Wage and skill level of the job offer.
Intention to live and work in a particular region.
Strategic priorities addressing provincial labor-market needs.

The selection factors can change between invitation rounds, meaning that the minimum score from one draw should not be treated as a guaranteed threshold for future selections.

More Than 4,200 Invitations Issued in 2026

As of August 6, 2026, the BC PNP has issued 4,236 invitations to apply for provincial nomination under Skills Immigration in 2026. At the same date there were 8,306 candidates in the province’s registration pool. The largest category of registered candidates fell within the 100-109 range, accounting for about 19.8% of the total registration pool.

Registration Score	Candidates in Pool
0–59	212
60–69	373
70–79	739
80–89	1,219
90–99	1,468
100–109	1,651
110–119	1,332
120–129	1,023
130–139	241
140–149	38
150+	10
Total	8,306

The distribution shows that even if a candidate has a registration score it does not mean that he/she will get an invitation as British Columbia can make occupation-specific selections depending on the provincial priorities.

What This Means for Workers

The latest BC PNP draw is a clear indication that British Columbia continues to conduct targeted occupation-based draws instead of relying only on general registration scores.

These targeted selections may benefit workers in health care, child care, education, veterinary care and construction trades, if they meet the occupation-specific requirements. But being employed in one of the targeted sectors doesn’t automatically mean an invitation. Candidates should verify:

Their correct NOC 2021 occupation.
Whether their occupation is included in the relevant targeted category.
Their registration score.
Their job offer and wage.
Required professional certification or designation.
Work experience requirements.
Language requirements.
Any occupation-specific conditions.
Their ability and intention to live and work in British Columbia.

What Applicants Should Do Now

BC PNP registration should be up to date and accurate for workers interested in British Columbia immigration. Candidates in regulated occupations should also make sure that their professional qualifications and licenses are valid where required. For construction workers, retaining a valid Skilled Trades BC certification or apprenticeship certification may be especially important for targeted invitations.

Healthcare, veterinary, childcare and education workers should similarly check the specific professional designation, registration and language standards that apply to their job. Candidates ought to track future invitation rounds rather than rely on the results of one selection because BC PNP selection criteria can change between draws.

Key Takeaways

The most important points from British Columbia’s August 6, 2026 BC PNP draw are:

British Columbia issued more than 500 invitations to apply for provincial nomination.
The draw targeted five priority occupational sectors.
The sectors were childcare, healthcare, education, veterinary care and construction trades.
187 construction workers received invitations with a minimum score of 88.
183 childcare workers received invitations with a minimum score of 102.
124 healthcare workers received invitations with a minimum score of 84.
Fewer than five education workers received invitations, with a minimum score of 68.
Six veterinary care workers received invitations with a minimum score of 72.
The selection supported British Columbia’s Care and Build objectives.
Specific professional certification or registration requirements applied to several occupational groups.
As of August 6, the BC PNP had issued 4,236 Skills Immigration invitations in 2026.
The BC PNP registration pool contained 8,306 candidates as of August 6.
Future draws may use different occupations, scores and selection factors depending on British Columbia’s labour-market priorities.

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Disclaimer
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Immigration programs, processing times, eligibility requirements, and application procedures may change without notice. Readers should consult official Government of Canada resources or seek professional immigration advice before making any immigration decisions.