Maple News reports that British Columbia on July 9 conducted a targeted occupation-based draw under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), inviting skilled workers to pursue provincial nomination. It marked the eighth Skills Immigration (SI) draw in 2026 and the 15th round of BC’s selections overall.
The province selected highly qualified workers across in-demand sectors, with a particular emphasis on care-based occupations and construction trades. This focus aligns with BC’s current priorities to attract skilled talent while addressing key labour-market gaps.
Under the latest round, BC issued 343 invitations to BCPNP candidates across four occupational categories, consistent with the province’s revised provincial nomination priorities that center on care and build.
BC’s selections were organized around two core objectives—care and build—designed to attract top talent and fill gaps in health care and construction workloads, as part of the province’s broader immigration strategy.
A closer look at the invitation breakdown shows the largest share going to construction trades (build). Construction trades accounted for 136 invitations across nine targeted NOCs, with a minimum score of 97. In the care category, healthcare attracted 116 invitations across 31 NOCs (minimum score 96), childcare drew 91 invitations for a single NOC (minimum score 108), and veterinary care received fewer than five invitations across two NOCs (minimum score 88).
Within targeted childcare occupations, only early childhood educators (NOC 42202) were invited in this round. Eligible ECE professionals needed either a one-year or five-year ECE certificate issued by the ECE registry to be considered for this targeted invitation.
This draw reflects British Columbia’s ongoing emphasis on healthcare and trades workers, moving beyond some earlier programs to address immediate labour-market needs. Maple News will continue monitoring BC’s immigration pathways and provide updates as new rounds are announced.