British Columbia PNP Adds 1,254 Nominations and Issues 485 Invitations on October 2

These extra nomination spaces will be applied to existing priorities such as healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and high economic impact candidates, and will also allow BC to begin processing part of the 2,240 waitlisted International Post-Graduate (IPG) applications submitted in 2024. However, the modest increase is insufficient for BC PNP to expand on other priorities in 2025, and the province has said it will continue to advocate for further increases to its allocation.

How Will BC PNP use its increased allocation for 2025? 

The international student allocation is one of the biggest findings from BC’s updated 2025 plan. BC announced last year that it was closing its existing student pathways. The province had planned to transition to “new and improved” student pathways, but with fewer nomination spaces available, BC announced that no student streams would be getting invitations in 2025.

The additional 1,254 nomination spaces announced in October 2025 give BC more room to invite candidates, but the province has made it clear that not all groups will benefit equally.

A significant portion of the extra allocation will be used to:

• Continue inviting high economic impact candidates in TEER 0–3 jobs
• Support health authority workers filling critical shortages
• Maintain a small stream for entrepreneur applicants
• Re-open limited spots for international students

The student allocation is especially noteworthy. With this increase, BC will begin processing some of the backlog of International Post-Graduate (IPG) applications.

However, the number of student invitations available is much lower than the backlog size, meaning that many waitlisted students will still not receive an invitation in 2025.

BC’s PNP Backlog Details

BC entered 2025 with an inventory of about 5,200 applications already in the system.

After the federal allocation was initially reduced to 4,000 nominations, BC announced that:

• 2,900 nomination spots would be used to process existing applications (from 2024 and early 2025).
• The remaining 1,100 nominations would be reserved for new applications targeting healthcare, entrepreneurs, and high-impact workers.
• International Post-Graduate (IPG) applications submitted before Sept 1, 2024 are still being processed in 2025.
• IPG applications submitted between Sept 1, 2024 and Jan 7, 2025 have been waitlisted and will only be processed if more nomination space becomes available.
• The October increase of 1,254 additional nominations means that at least some of these 2,240 waitlisted IPG applications will now move forward – but not all.

Summary of the BC PNP October 2, 2025 Draw

Total invitations issued: 485

Skills Immigration invitations:

• 114 candidates with job offers in NOC TEER 0–3 and a minimum wage of $90/hour ($175,000/year)
• 360 candidates with a minimum score of 140 points
  

Entrepreneur Immigration invitations:

• Base stream: 11 invitations (minimum score 123)
  

See our PNP live tracker for more details on recent draws across Canada.

What Jobs Are Included in BC’s Skills Immigration?

Skilled Worker

• For experienced managers, professionals, technical workers, and skilled tradespeople
• Eligible NOC TEERs: 0, 1, 2, 3
• Requirement: At least 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience

Health Authority

• For select health workers directly employed by B.C.’s provincial health authorities
• Eligible NOC TEERs: 0, 1, 2, 3
• Includes all TEER 3 health occupations, plus:
  Social workers (NOC 41300)
  Counselling therapists (NOC 41301)
  Social/community service workers (NOC 42201)

The Entry Level & Semi-Skilled stream (covering select TEER 4–5 jobs in sectors like tourism, hospitality, long-haul trucking, and food processing) was not included in this draw.

How Does the October 2, 2025 BC PNP Draw Compare?

The 474 Skills Immigration invitations mark a significant increase compared to the previous draw on May 8, 2025, when only 94 invitations were issued under stricter criteria ($105/hour wage or 150 points).

On the Entrepreneur Immigration side, the 11 Base Category invitations are consistent with recent months. Interestingly, there were no invitations issued on the Entrepreneur Regional Stream in this draw. British Columbia PNP has not published backlog figures for the Entrepreneur Regional Pilot stream; given its community-referral model, the low or zero invitations likely reflect very few eligible candidates rather than a backlog. Here’s what the past recent draws looked like:

• August 19, 2025: 11 invitations (Base: 124, Regional: <5)
• July 8, 2025: 12 invitations (Base: 121, Regional: <5)
• May 28, 2025: 9 invitations (Base: 115, Regional: <5)
  

Trends and Insights from the October 2 BC PNP Draw

Several key trends emerge from BC’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) 2025 draws so far:

• Higher intake for Skills Immigration: October’s 474 invitations are significantly higher than May’s draw. This increase is linked to BC’s expanded 2025 allocation, which freed up more spaces for Skills Immigration candidates.
• Adjusted wage and score thresholds: The minimum wage requirement dropped from $105/hour in May to $90/hour in October. Under the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS), the minimum score needed to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) fell from 150 in May to 140.
• Steady entrepreneur intake: Entrepreneur Immigration invitations remain limited, with fewer than 15 per draw in 2025. This mirrors 2024 trends and reflects the reality that far fewer people are ready to open a business in B.C. compared to skilled workers. The stream also requires a significant investment, making it a more selective pathway.
• Fewer but larger draws: Compared to 2024, when BC held more frequent, smaller, and targeted rounds, 2025 has so far had only two Skills Immigration draws. This shift is explained by BC’s reduced allocation and backlog management strategy, outlined in its 2025 PNP changes announcement.

While future draws may continue to reflect BC’s labour market priorities, the 1,254 additional nominations added to BC’s 2025 PNP allocation change the outlook. Prior to this, it looked unlikely there would be another Skills Immigration draw in 2025. Now, with extra spaces directed toward healthcare, high-impact TEER 0–3 candidates, some international students, and entrepreneurs, another Skills Immigration draw looks likely. This is welcome news for candidates who have been waiting in limbo.

What This Means for Candidates

For Skills Immigration applicants, the October 2 draw shows that British Columbia is open to inviting a larger number of candidates compared to earlier this year – thanks to that late increase in the province’s allocation. The lower wage threshold ($90/hour vs. $105/hour in May) and reduced points requirement (140 vs. 150) may make it easier for some candidates to qualify.

For Entrepreneur Immigration stream applicants, draw sizes remain small and competitive, with minimum scores hovering around 120–124. This indicates that strong applications are still required to receive an invitation.

To learn more about program requirements and future draws, visit our complete guide to the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).