News
Check back often for the latest news about the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), including numbers of invitations issued, program changes, and more.
September 21, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
September 14, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
September 7, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
August 31, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
August 24, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
August 17, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC and Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories, and to Entrepreneur Immigration Base and Regional Pilot registrants. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued.
For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide and to the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guides.
August 10, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
August 3, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
July 27, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
July 20, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
July 19, 2021
Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category: New registrations temporarily paused
Effective immediately, the BC PNP is temporarily pausing the intake of new registrations to the Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) - Base category.
The EI - Base category has existed in its current form since 2015. It enables the province to nominate foreign entrepreneurs for permanent residence who plan, through ownership and active management, to open a new business or purchase an existing one in British Columbia.
Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on B.C.’s economy, the temporary pause allows us to review the EI – Base category to ensure it continues to meet its objectives to support government priorities and economic recovery, and prepare prospective applicants for the greatest chance of success.
We will post an update early in 2022 to notify people when registrations will likely resume.
The temporary pause does not affect individuals who have already submitted a registration or application. They will remain active in the system and will continue to be processed through to final decisions. However, registrations have an expiry date. Should a registration expire without having received an invitation to apply, a new registration cannot be submitted during this pause.
The registration pause does not apply to the following:
Contact us at En.Imm@gov.bc.ca
July 15, 2021
Service outage notice: Monday July 19, 2021
The BCPNP Online application system will have intermittent outages on July 19, 2021 from 10:45am (PT) to 11:15AM (PT) due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
July 13, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
July 12, 2021
Service outage notice: Tuesday July 13, 2021
The BCPNP Online application system will not be available on July 13, 2021 from 10:00am(PT) to 12:00noon(PT) due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
July 6, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
June 29, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
June 22, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
June 22, 2021
WelcomeBC website updates
An updated version of the WelcomeBC website launched today with improvements that make it easier for you to find the information you’re looking for. Enhancements include:
- updated and reorganized content
- simpler navigation
- improved accessibility and search functionality
- moved old BC PNP documents to an Archived Documents page
These changes are effective June 22, 2021.
June 18, 2021
Website service outage notice – June 22:
The WelcomeBC website will not be available on June 22, 2021, from 8:30am (PT) to 12:30pm (PT) due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
Please note: this website service outage will not affect BCPNP Online. To access BCPNP Online during the WelcomeBC website outage, please use this direct link: http://www.pnpapplication.gov.bc.ca/
June 17, 2021
BC PNP Statistical Report 2020 released
On June 17, 2021, the BC PNP released the statistical report for the year 2020. The report provides a range of statistical results about the program, including nominations, occupations, salaries, countries of origin, and regional distribution of nominees in the province.
The 2020 statistical report can be viewed on the Documents page. The reports from 2016 to 2019 are on the Archived Documents page.
June 15, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC and Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 BC PNP Tech occupations, and to Entrepreneur Immigration Base and Regional Pilot registrants. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued.
For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide and to the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guides.
June 9, 2021
Service Outage Notice: Thursday June 10, 2021
The BCPNP Online application system will not be available on June 10, 2021 from 9:00am (PT) to 12:00noon (PT) due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
June 8, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued.
For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
June 2, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
On June 1, 2021, the BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the
29 BC PNP Tech occupations. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
May 28, 2021
BC PNP Tech Pilot extended indefinitely
The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Tech Pilot is being extended indefinitely, ensuring continued support for the tech sector and addressing workforce needs by prioritizing 29 in-demand tech occupations.
The program will be renamed BC PNP Tech.
We will continue priority processing, weekly tech draws, and concierge support for tech employers. Occupations will be periodically reviewed and may be subject to change.
Please visit the BC PNP Tech page for more information.
May 25, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
May 18, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants with job offers in the 29 key technology occupations of the BC PNP Tech Pilot. Please refer to the Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
May 11, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
May 4, 2021
April 27, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
April 20, 2021
April 14, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC and Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations Issued
On April 13, 2021, the BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories, and to Entrepreneur Immigration Base and Regional Pilot registrants. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued.
For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide and to the
Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guides.
April 9, 2021
Service Outage Notice: Monday April 12, 2021
The BCPNP Online application system will not be available on April 12, 2021 from 7:30am (PT) to 11:00am (PT) due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
April 6, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
March 30, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
March 23, 2021
BC PNP extends the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot for 3 years
The BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Pilot has been extended until March 31, 2024.
The EI Regional Pilot was introduced in March 2019 to support economic growth in smaller regional centres of B.C. and is an innovative collaboration between regional communities and the provincial government. Over the past two years, it has demonstrated its ability to attract entrepreneurs from around the world and to contribute to regional economic development needs, despite the impacts of COVID-19.
With travel restrictions still in effect, communities across B.C. may have other priorities and are unable to focus on the EI Regional Pilot. This extension will help communities welcome new entrepreneurs to their regions, and be well positioned to support recovery post-pandemic.
In total, 65 communities enrolled in the initial pilot phase. Many will receive new entrepreneurs in their communities once international travel restrictions are lifted.
For up-to-date information, please check this News page regularly.
General information can be found on the EI Regional Pilot page.
March 23, 2021
March 22, 2021
Service Outage Notice: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
The BCPNP Online application system will not be available on March 24, 2021 from 6:00am (PT) to 8:00am (PT) due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
March 16, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
March 9, 2021
March 3, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
On March 2, 2021, the BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
February 24, 2021
February 16, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP has issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued.
Temporary suspensions for 31 occupations lifted
Effective February 16, 2021 the BC PNP resumed issuing invitations to apply (ITA) to the 31 occupations previously excluded from receiving invitations.
To balance the need across all sectors of the provincial labour market, a separate draw has been conducted for
Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers (NOC 0621) and
Restaurant and Food Service Managers (NOC 0631) as both occupations have a high number of registrants within the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System.
Those who receive an ITA must demonstrate that they have met, and continue to meet, all program and category requirements at the time of registration and application.
We will continue to monitor and adjust the program requirements as needed, ensuring that we do not lose sight of our long-term objectives and the role immigration plays to support quality economic growth throughout B.C.
For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
February 9, 2021
February 2, 2021
February 2, 2021
Temporary amendment to the in-class learning requirement for international students
The BC PNP is temporarily amending the online learning requirement for the international student categories. This will allow learning to be online, with 50% of studies or more from within Canada. This is a temporary change in response to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We will continue to review this and other policies to determine if changes are appropriate.
For more information about this policy and other temporary measures introduced due to COVID-19, please visit the
COVID-19 Updates page. You can also refer to the BC PNP Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide - Addendum on the
Documents page.
January 26, 2021
January 20, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
On January 19, 2021, the BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued.
For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
Review of 31 Occupations Excluded from Invitations to Apply
On March 30, 2020, the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) temporarily suspended issuing invitations to apply (ITA) for individuals in 31 tourism, hospitality, retail and personal services occupations. The temporary measure was in response to widespread unemployment in these sectors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have received questions regarding the status of these exclusions given a previous posting that the suspensions would continue for the remainder of 2020.
A review of labour market information and other factors related to the excluded occupations is underway. We will post new information on this page, together with links to other related resources.
January 13, 2021
January 5, 2021
Skills Immigration & Express Entry BC Invitations Issued
The BC PNP issued invitations to apply to qualified registrants in Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC categories. Please refer to the
Invitations to Apply page for a full breakdown of minimum scores and total invitations issued. For more information on the invitation and application process, please refer to the
Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide.
Archived BC PNP news items from 2020 are available in this document.
Archived BC PNP news items from 2019 are available in this document.
Archived BC PNP news items from 2018 are available in this document.
Archived BC PNP news items from 2017 are available in this document.
Archived BC PNP news items from 2015 to 2016 are available in this document.
Archived BC PNP news items from 2010 to 2014 are available in this document.