Health Authority
The Health Authority stream offers a permanent residence pathway to people working in select healthcare occupations for a health authority in B.C.
Requirements: To qualify for this stream, you must:
Demonstrate that you have obtained support from your employer (must be a B.C. public health authority) to apply to the BC PNP
Direct employees: have an indeterminate, full-time job offer in one of the following health occupations:
- An occupation identified by the NOC as a health occupation (any NOC that starts with a 3)
- Social workers (NOC 41300)
- Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (NOC 41301)
- Social and community service workers (NOC 42201)
Physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives: be ready to work in your profession in B.C.
Have a wage offer in line with B.C. wage rates for the occupation
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS):
The Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream is a way for workers in select occupations in the tourism/hospitality or food processing sectors to gain permanent residence in B.C.
Requirements: To qualify for this stream, you must:
Eligible ELSS occupations:
Occupations in travel and accommodation
64314 Hotel front desk clerks
Tour and recreational guides and casino occupations
64320 Tour and travel guides
64322 Outdoor sport and recreational guides
Occupations in food and beverage service
64300 Maîtres d’hotel and hosts/hostesses
65200 Food and beverage servers
65201 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
Cleaners (employed directly by hotels/resorts*)
65210 Support occupations in accommodation, travel and facilities set-up services
65310 Light duty cleaners
65311 Specialized cleaners
65312 Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners
Other service occupations (employed directly by hotels/resorts*)
65320 Dry cleaning, laundry and related occupations
65329 Other service support occupations
Food processing
94140 Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
94141 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
94142 Fish and seafood plant workers
94143 Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
95106 Labourers in food and beverage processing
Program priorities
This section contains priority occupations that support the BC PNP’s strategic initiatives.
Childcare
42202 Early childhood educators and assistants
Priority construction occupations
Priority Healthcare occupations
30010 Managers in health care
31100 Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
31101 Specialists in surgery
31102 General practitioners and family physicians
31112 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
31121 Dietitians and nutritionists
31203 Occupational therapists
31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
31300 Nursing coordinators and supervisors
31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
31302 Nurse practitioners
31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
32101 Licensed practical nurses
32102 Paramedical occupations
32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
32112 Dental technologists and technicians
32120 Medical laboratory technologists
32121 Medical radiation technologists
32122 Medical sonographers
32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
32124 Pharmacy technicians
32129 Other medical technologists and technicians
32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
41301 Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies
42201 Social and community service workers
Priority veterinary care occupations
Workers with job offers in one of the following occupations may benefit from targeted invitations to apply.
32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
Express Entry British Columbia
This stream accelerates immigration for applicants with a valid job offer in B.C. who meet BC PNP requirements and qualify for a federal economic immigration program such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or Canadian Experience Class. A provincial nomination boosts their CRS score by 600 points, significantly improving their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.
Entrepreneur Immigration (BC PNP EI)
Base stream Requirements – Personal
Personal net worth of at least CAD 600,000
Business and/or management experience
Basic English or French language skill equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher
Have been lawfully admitted in the country where you currently live
Have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
Base stream Requirements – Business & Investment
Establish an eligible new business or buy and improve an existing business
Make an eligible personal investment of at least CAD 200,000 in the business
Create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
FAQs
What are the key sectors targeted by the Skills Immigration stream of the BCPNP?purushothama-WI2025-10-16T14:43:45+00:00It focuses on sectors such as healthcare, construction, child care and technology, providing pathways for skilled and experienced workers with the qualifications sought by B.C. employers.
Can I apply to BC PNP without Express Entry?purushothama-WI2025-10-16T14:42:54+00:00Yes, BC PNP offers streams for applicants who are not eligible for the federal Express Entry system. However, applying through Express Entry can help fast-track the immigration process.
Do I need a job offer to apply for the BC PNP program?purushothama-WI2025-10-16T14:41:41+00:00For most Skills Immigration categories and BC PNP Tech, yes, a valid job offer from a B.C. employer is required. Some international graduate sub-categories may have different requirements.
How long does it take to process a BC PNP application?purushothama-WI2025-10-16T14:41:03+00:00Processing times depend on the stream and the completeness of the application. Generally, it can take several months to receive a nomination after submission.
