On February 14, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) issued a combined 474 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence over two consecutive days of draws targeting both Skills Immigration (SI) and Entrepreneur streams. According to CIC News, the majority of invitations went to tech-aligned skilled workers, early-childhood educators and healthcare professionals, while 14 invitations were reserved for business founders under the Entrepreneur Base and Regional categories. (cicnews.com)
The SI draw continued B.C.’s demand-driven approach, with minimum Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) scores ranging from 88 to 108 depending on occupation. The province confirmed that nominees will receive accelerated processing—often under three months—once the federal stage begins, giving employers a crucial pipeline amid chronic labour shortages.
![British Columbia invites 474 skilled workers and entrepreneurs in first back-to-back draws of 2026]()
Meanwhile, candidates who need visitor visas for exploratory trips or temporary work permits while waiting for provincial nomination can simplify those steps through VisaHQ’s self-serve portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/). The platform offers real-time visa requirements, digital document checklists and secure application submission, helping future newcomers keep their immigration timeline on track.
For entrepreneurs, the base-stream minimum score of 116 is the lowest since mid-2025, signalling B.C.’s renewed push to attract investment outside Greater Vancouver. The regional pilot, aimed at communities of fewer than 75,000 residents, issued invitations at a score threshold of 117. Successful applicants must create at least one full-time job and invest a minimum of CAD 200,000.
With Ottawa tightening federal temporary-resident programmes, provinces are doubling down on nominee allocations to meet local workforce gaps. Immigration advisors say candidates with competitive language scores and genuine job offers should submit BCPNP profiles quickly, as invitation rounds may occur weekly through the spring if quotas permit.
The SI draw continued B.C.’s demand-driven approach, with minimum Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) scores ranging from 88 to 108 depending on occupation. The province confirmed that nominees will receive accelerated processing—often under three months—once the federal stage begins, giving employers a crucial pipeline amid chronic labour shortages.
Meanwhile, candidates who need visitor visas for exploratory trips or temporary work permits while waiting for provincial nomination can simplify those steps through VisaHQ’s self-serve portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/). The platform offers real-time visa requirements, digital document checklists and secure application submission, helping future newcomers keep their immigration timeline on track.
For entrepreneurs, the base-stream minimum score of 116 is the lowest since mid-2025, signalling B.C.’s renewed push to attract investment outside Greater Vancouver. The regional pilot, aimed at communities of fewer than 75,000 residents, issued invitations at a score threshold of 117. Successful applicants must create at least one full-time job and invest a minimum of CAD 200,000.
With Ottawa tightening federal temporary-resident programmes, provinces are doubling down on nominee allocations to meet local workforce gaps. Immigration advisors say candidates with competitive language scores and genuine job offers should submit BCPNP profiles quickly, as invitation rounds may occur weekly through the spring if quotas permit.
