After a two-month pause, British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has resumed issuing invitations to skilled immigrants. On 10 December the province invited 410 candidates across all Skills Immigration streams, releasing the results publicly on 14 December. Invitations were issued either to the highest-ranking profiles in the pool or to applicants with confirmed high-wage employment in B.C. Minimum provincial scores were not disclosed but officials said most invitations went to candidates whose occupations match persistent labour shortages in technology, construction, health care and early childhood education.
Context matters: B.C.’s draw is the first since the province temporarily halted selections in October to recalibrate its occupational scoring grid and integrate a new employer-compliance regime. The pause coincided with the federal government’s decision to slow overall temporary-resident growth in 2025, putting pressure on provinces to prioritise candidates who can make an immediate economic impact.
For employers, the restart is welcome news. B.C. has one of Canada’s tightest labour markets—its unemployment rate fell to 4.4 % in November—and companies have been unable to fill vacancies while the pipeline of newcomers stalled. The draw signals that the province will again process provincial nominations (a mandatory first step before applying for permanent residence through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) within its 10-week service standard.
![British Columbia Restarts Immigration Invitations With 410 High-Impact Candidates]()
Amid these shifting policies, VisaHQ can simplify the compliance burden for both employers and foreign workers. Its digital visa-processing dashboard—accessible at https://www.visahq.com/canada/—walks applicants through each BC PNP documentation step, auto-generates required forms, and offers live consultants who can review submissions before they are lodged, reducing the risk of delays.
Practical implications: • Employers that already issued job offers under the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) should ensure wage levels still meet B.C.’s updated wage requirements, which have risen in line with the 2025 median wage survey. • Candidates who were close to expiring work permits can now receive provincial nomination letters that enable them to apply for maintained status or Bridging Open Work Permits. • Immigration counsel expect another B.C. draw before year-end, focused on early childhood educators and health-care professionals.
Looking ahead, B.C. officials hinted that future draws will increasingly favour candidates who agree to settle outside Metro Vancouver, reflecting provincial efforts to distribute newcomers more evenly across the province and ease housing pressures in the Lower Mainland.
Context matters: B.C.’s draw is the first since the province temporarily halted selections in October to recalibrate its occupational scoring grid and integrate a new employer-compliance regime. The pause coincided with the federal government’s decision to slow overall temporary-resident growth in 2025, putting pressure on provinces to prioritise candidates who can make an immediate economic impact.
For employers, the restart is welcome news. B.C. has one of Canada’s tightest labour markets—its unemployment rate fell to 4.4 % in November—and companies have been unable to fill vacancies while the pipeline of newcomers stalled. The draw signals that the province will again process provincial nominations (a mandatory first step before applying for permanent residence through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) within its 10-week service standard.
Amid these shifting policies, VisaHQ can simplify the compliance burden for both employers and foreign workers. Its digital visa-processing dashboard—accessible at https://www.visahq.com/canada/—walks applicants through each BC PNP documentation step, auto-generates required forms, and offers live consultants who can review submissions before they are lodged, reducing the risk of delays.
Practical implications: • Employers that already issued job offers under the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) should ensure wage levels still meet B.C.’s updated wage requirements, which have risen in line with the 2025 median wage survey. • Candidates who were close to expiring work permits can now receive provincial nomination letters that enable them to apply for maintained status or Bridging Open Work Permits. • Immigration counsel expect another B.C. draw before year-end, focused on early childhood educators and health-care professionals.
Looking ahead, B.C. officials hinted that future draws will increasingly favour candidates who agree to settle outside Metro Vancouver, reflecting provincial efforts to distribute newcomers more evenly across the province and ease housing pressures in the Lower Mainland.
