Maple News reports that British Columbia conducted its third Skills Immigration draw of 2026 on April 22, inviting 484 candidates who could contribute meaningfully to the province’s economy. The invitations were issued under the BC Provincial Nominee Program’s Skills Immigration stream, based on either a TEER 0–3 job offer with a wage of at least $62 per hour (roughly $125,000 per year) or a minimum registration score of 138.
In this round, invitations were split: 252 candidates qualified under the job-offer-and-wage criterion, and 232 qualified under the registration-score criterion.
This draw marks BC’s ninth selection round in 2026 and includes invitations issued through both the Skills Immigration (SI) and Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) streams.
BCPNP notes that, in 2026, all SI draws have targeted either a strong job offer with wages or a high registration score rather than broad-based invitations.
Among the 484 invitations, 52.1% were issued to candidates based on job offers and wages, with the remainder coming from registration-score pathways. This continues a shift from earlier SI draws that leaned more heavily on higher scores.
For context, BC ran a 429-candidate SI draw on February 4, illustrating a consistent pace in talent targeting for 2026.
Implications: The province remains selective, prioritizing applicants ready to fill high-demand TEER 0–3 occupations. Prospective applicants should align their profiles with these criteria to strengthen their nomination chances.