In 2025, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is shifting its focus to support the province’s most urgent labour and economic needs. In response to a significant reduction in provincial nomination allocations from the federal government, the BC PNP will concentrate its efforts on three key areas this year: healthcare, entrepreneurs and high economic impact candidates.
Fewer Nominations, Sharper Focus
The federal government has allocated only 4,000 nominations to B.C. for 2025—a 50% drop from previous years. However, by the start of this year, the program already had a backlog of over 5,200 applications—demand clearly exceeds supply.
To manage this, the 4,000 available spots will be allocated as follows:
- Approx. 1,100 nominations will be reserved for new applicants in the following categories:
- Healthcare workers employed by public health authorities (such as doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals).
- Entrepreneurs who are creating jobs and investing in the province.
- Skilled workers who will bring high economic impact to B.C.
- Approximately 2,900 will be used to nominate candidates already in the system.
Key Program Changes & Updates:
International Post-Graduate (IPG) Stream:
- Applications submitted between September 1, 2024, and January 7, 2025, will be waitlisted until more spots become available.
All other applications submitted in 2024 and early 2025 will be processed throughout the year.
Major Changes to ITA Draws
- No general or priority occupation draws will take place in 2025.
- The program will issue a limited number of invitations to high economic impact candidates—only around 100 people are expected to be nominated from over 10,000 candidates in the pool. The first draw is expected in early May.
- Draw-specific criteria will be published with each round.
Refined Eligibility for Health Occupations:
- Only roles directly involved in the delivery of healthcare services will qualify (e.g., doctors, nurses, diagnostic or therapeutic professionals).
- Support or administrative roles that do not provide direct care will not be eligible.
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
- Only ECE teachers will continue to be invited.
- ECE Assistants are no longer eligible for targeted draws.
Social and Community Service Workers
- The BC PNP is working with the Ministry of Health to develop enhanced criteria for social workers and community service roles.
Entrepreneur Immigration
- Good news: Entrepreneur stream draws will continue throughout 2025, unaffected by the overall allocation drop.
Faster Processing time
- The BC PNP is committed to returning to a 3-month service standard for new applications submitted in 2025.
Pause on New Student Streams
- The launch of three planned student immigration streams is now postponed due to low nomination allocations. The streams will be revisited when allocation numbers increase.
Federal Collaboration and Advocacy
B.C. will continue working closely with the federal government to:
- Support eligible applicants in extending their work permits.
- Advocate for increased nomination quotas to help meet critical labour needs and drive economic growth in the province.
Pro Tip
If you’re a healthcare professional or planning to invest or start a business in B.C., or a high-potential skilled worker, then the 2025 BC PNP could be your opportunity.
Source from: BC PNP News