Maple News reports that British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) carried out back-to-back draws on May 5–6 to invite candidates for provincial nomination. Officials issued at least 341 invitations across Skills Immigration (SI) and Entrepreneur Immigration (EI), with the majority coming through SI and directed at care-based, education, and construction professionals. This marks the first round of selections since BC unveiled major PNP changes on April 23, refocusing on sectors aligned with local labour-market needs.
In Skills Immigration, BC issued 333 invitations on May 6 across four occupational streams, aligned with the province’s updated priorities. The selections followed two core objectives: Care and Build, aimed at attracting highly skilled workers and addressing labour gaps in health, education, and trades.
Breakdown by occupational category (SI): Health care occupations (31 targeted NOCs) received 117 ITAs with a minimum score of 108; Veterinary occupations (2 NOCs) received 9 ITAs with a minimum score of 100; Education occupations (1 NOC) received 86 ITAs with a minimum score of 115; Construction trades (9 NOCs) received 121 ITAs with a minimum score of 108. In total, these four streams accounted for 333 Invitations to Apply.
Construction trades led the SI draw with 121 ITAs (about 36% of SI invitations), followed by Health care with 117 ITAs, Education with 86 ITAs, and Veterinary with 9 ITAs. The remaining invitations came from the Entrepreneur Immigration stream, bringing the overall total to at least 341 invitations.
Context and outlook: The May rounds underscore BC’s targeted emphasis on healthcare workers and skilled trades to support local labour-market needs. Prospective applicants should review occupation-specific requirements and prepare for competitive scores in these streams. Maple News will continue to monitor further PNP rounds and provide updates on eligibility and pathways for BC’s enhanced streams.