British Columbia published details on 12 December of a draw held two days earlier that invited 410 candidates through its Skills Immigration streams. Ninety-six of the invitations were reserved for applicants earning at least CAD 170,000 a year (equivalent to CAD 87 per hour) in TEER 0-3 occupations, under the province’s newly branded High Economic Impact category. The remaining 314 invitations went to candidates with a Skills Immigration registration score of 138 or higher.
Professionals considering a move under B.C.’s Skills Immigration pathways can streamline their paperwork through VisaHQ, which provides step-by-step document processing and visa assistance for Canada at https://www.visahq.com/canada/. The platform helps applicants assemble required forms and secure any necessary travel visas or authentications, letting them focus on career negotiations rather than administrative details.
The province’s immigration ministry said the aggressive wage threshold is intended to attract senior executives, engineers and tech specialists who can drive productivity and tax revenue. By tying invitations directly to compensation, B.C. hopes to out-compete U.S. tech hubs for globally mobile talent deciding where to anchor remote teams.
![British Columbia Targets High-Wage Talent in New BC PNP ‘Economic Impact’ Draw]()
For employers, the draw underscores the importance of offering market-leading salaries when seeking provincial support for permanent residence. HR departments should review compensation benchmarks against the province’s published thresholds before submitting registrations.
Candidates invited under the High Economic Impact stream will receive a provincial nomination worth 600 Express Entry points once their application is approved—effectively guaranteeing federal selection. Processing times average two to three months, meaning many high-wage applicants could gain permanent residence by spring 2026, just as B.C.’s major infrastructure and clean-tech projects ramp up hiring.
The province signalled that future economic-impact draws may use different selection criteria, so employers are advised to monitor the Skills Immigration Program Guide for updates.
Professionals considering a move under B.C.’s Skills Immigration pathways can streamline their paperwork through VisaHQ, which provides step-by-step document processing and visa assistance for Canada at https://www.visahq.com/canada/. The platform helps applicants assemble required forms and secure any necessary travel visas or authentications, letting them focus on career negotiations rather than administrative details.
The province’s immigration ministry said the aggressive wage threshold is intended to attract senior executives, engineers and tech specialists who can drive productivity and tax revenue. By tying invitations directly to compensation, B.C. hopes to out-compete U.S. tech hubs for globally mobile talent deciding where to anchor remote teams.
For employers, the draw underscores the importance of offering market-leading salaries when seeking provincial support for permanent residence. HR departments should review compensation benchmarks against the province’s published thresholds before submitting registrations.
Candidates invited under the High Economic Impact stream will receive a provincial nomination worth 600 Express Entry points once their application is approved—effectively guaranteeing federal selection. Processing times average two to three months, meaning many high-wage applicants could gain permanent residence by spring 2026, just as B.C.’s major infrastructure and clean-tech projects ramp up hiring.
The province signalled that future economic-impact draws may use different selection criteria, so employers are advised to monitor the Skills Immigration Program Guide for updates.
