BC PNP Report Reveals Who British Columbia Prioritized for Permanent Residence in 2025

According to the province’s latest Statistical Report and Year in Review, while the province received fewer nomination spaces than in previous years, it used its full allocation in 2025. Nearly 90 percent of nominations went to existing workers already contributing to the province’s economy. The report also highlights that healthcare professionals became an even greater priority and regional immigration remained strong.

Here are some key insights into how the BC PNP selected candidates, which occupations were prioritized, and how nominations were distributed across streams.

Key Takeaways

• British Columbia used all 6,214 of its provincial nominations in 2025, with almost 90 percent going to people already living and working in the province.
• Healthcare was the BC PNP’s top priority. Nominations under the Health Authority stream made up 27 percent of all Skills Immigration.
• Skills Immigration accounted for almost all BC PNP nominations, while Entrepreneur Immigration remained a much smaller program.
• More than one-third of Skills Immigration nominees lived and worked outside Metro Vancouver, supporting regional labour market needs.

Most BC PNP Nominees Were Already Working in British Columbia

Almost 90 percent of BC PNP nominees were already living and working in British Columbia when they received their nomination. According to the province, this supports the federal government’s broader objective of reducing Canada’s temporary resident population by helping eligible workers transition to permanent residence.

The report also highlights the program’s strong retention rates. Approximately 97 percent of BC PNP nominees remain in British Columbia one year after becoming permanent residents, while 92 percent are still living in the province after five years.

Healthcare Became British Columbia’s Biggest Immigration Priority

Healthcare recruitment was one of the main priorities of the BC PNP in 2025. Healthcare workers represented a much larger share of all nominations than in previous years, reflecting the province’s decision to prioritize occupations facing ongoing labour shortages.

British Columbia increased the number of healthcare professionals working for public health authorities who received nominations from 675 in 2024 to 1,241 in 2025, an 84 percent increase.

Overall, the province nominated 1,435 workers in priority healthcare occupations. The program also helped recruit many front-line healthcare professionals, including 218 physicians and 652 registered nurses and nurse practitioners.

International recruitment efforts in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom contributed to significant increases in physician and nursing nominations. For instance, physician nominations from the US increased by 290 percent in 2025, while nominations for registered nurses increased by 208 percent.

How the BC PNP Managed its Nominations in 2025

British Columbia received and fully used an allocation of 6,214 provincial nominations in 2025, compared with 8,000 in 2024.

British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program includes two main pathways:

• Skills Immigration (SI), which helps employers retain and recruit workers in occupations needed across the province.
• Entrepreneur Immigration (EI), which allows experienced business owners to establish or purchase businesses in British Columbia.

Skills Immigration Accounted for 99 Percent of All Nominations

The Skills Immigration stream accounted for 6,195 of the province’s 6,214 nominations, or almost 99 percent of the entire program.

Overall, BC made 6,553 Skills Immigration application decisions in 2025 (including some applications from the previous year), approving 6,195 of them — an approval rate of 94.5 percent.

Under the Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement (CBCIA), up to 5 percent of the province’s annual nominations may be allocated to Entrepreneur Immigration. Entrepreneur Immigration received 19 nominations in 2025.

Skills Immigration Priorities Changed in 2025

The distribution of Skills Immigration nominations changed noticeably compared with previous years.

All Skills Immigration streams, except the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream, also had an Express Entry pathway. The below table includes both base nominations (issued directly through BC PNP) and enhanced nominations (issued through Express Entry):

In 2025, 22 percent of nominations were issued through the Skilled Worker stream. This was down from 46 percent in 2023.

Health Authority nominations made up 27 percent of the total, as healthcare became the province’s primary priority.

International Graduate and International Post-Graduate nominations remained high (almost 50 percent of the total Skills Immigration nominations) because the BC PNP continued processing applications received before those streams closed in late 2024 and early 2025, respectively.

Overall, 59 percent of Skills Immigration nominees were in streams requiring a job offer and employment to address labour market needs.

The report also notes that the province’s long-running Tech pathway became less prominent in 2025. Technology workers continued to receive nominations, but many were selected through newly introduced High Economic Impact (HEI) draws, which prioritized candidates with higher wages and stronger scores.

Regional Immigration Remained a Priority

The BC PNP continued to support immigration outside Metro Vancouver.

In 2025, 38 percent of Skills Immigration nominees lived and worked outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District, exceeding the province’s target of at least 35 percent.

Regional immigration was even more pronounced under Entrepreneur Immigration. Every entrepreneur nominated through the BC PNP in 2025 established their business outside Metro Vancouver through the Regional stream.

BC PNP Nominees Earned Well Above the Provincial Median Wage

Among Skills Immigration nominees with reported wage information, the median hourly wage in 2025 was $41.42. This was over 27 percent higher than the provincial median wage of $32.49.

Median annual salaries for BC PNP nominees in 2025 also varied by stream:

• Skilled Worker – $105,000
• Health Authority – $80,769
• International Graduate – $57,200
• Entry Level and Semi-Skilled – $42,685

International Post-Graduate nominees are not included because that stream did not require a job offer.

Combined with the province’s increased focus on High Economic Impact draws, these figures suggest the BC PNP increasingly prioritized workers with strong labour market outcomes.

Where Did BC PNP Nominees Come From?

In 2025, the majority of BC PNP nominees continued to come from Asia.

63.2 percent of nominees originated from South and Central Asia or East and Southeast Asia combined. Other significant source regions included North Africa and the Middle East (8.4 percent), Europe (8.1 percent), and Sub-Saharan Africa (7.7 percent).

The United States also entered British Columbia’s top five source countries, thanks in part to the increased recruitment of healthcare professionals.

Nearly 70 percent of entrepreneur nominees came from just four countries: Iran, Nigeria, Vietnam, and India.

Entrepreneur Immigration remained Small but Active

Entrepreneur Immigration accounted for only 19 nominations in 2025 but continued to support investment and job creation across British Columbia. Together, these entrepreneurs created 42 jobs and committed almost $5 million in personal investment.

The BC PNP operates two entrepreneur pathways:

• Entrepreneur Immigration Base, for experienced entrepreneurs planning larger business investments.
• Entrepreneur Immigration Regional, designed to support smaller communities outside Metro Vancouver.

Interest in the Base stream increased substantially during 2025, with application intake reaching 56, compared to 34 in 2024. On the other hand, only 9 applications were received for the Regional stream.

What the 2025 Trends Mean for the Future of BC PNP

The 2025 report provides useful context for the direction the BC PNP has taken in 2026.

Healthcare was already a major priority in 2025, and the province began using High Economic Impact draws to target candidates with higher wages. These priorities have carried forward into the BC PNP’s 2026 approach.

In 2026, the BC PNP program was reorganized around three priorities: Care, Build, and Innovate. Care focuses on healthcare, education, childcare, and veterinary occupations. Build targets selected construction trades, while Innovate allows the province to invite high economic impact candidates across sectors.

At the same time, some of the older pathways and priority groups have been removed. The Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream is now closed, and the separate priority technology occupation stream has been discontinued. Technology workers can still be considered through the High Economic Impact category.

Taken together, the 2025 results and 2026 changes show a BC PNP increasingly centred on specific provincial priorities, particularly healthcare, construction, regional immigration, and candidates expected to make a high economic impact.