From 8,000 to 4,000 spots, despite the province’s request to increase the quota to 11,000.
What does this mean for applicants?
Priority will now be given to:
All other categories will be heavily restricted or temporarily suspended.
Key points to know:
1. Application volume and quotas:
2. Skilled Worker Stream:
3. Entrepreneur Stream:
4. Health Authority Stream:
5. Student Streams:
The province is actively negotiating with the federal government to restore higher nomination quotas and prevent a loss of critical workers needed for British Columbia’s economy.
If you plan to apply through BC PNP, we highly recommend urgently revisiting your strategy based on the new realities.
We are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to help analyze your chances and alternative pathways.
What does this mean for applicants?
Priority will now be given to:
- Healthcare workers (only those providing direct medical services – doctors, nurses, and related professionals),
- Entrepreneurs,
- Specialists who create a high economic impact for the province (based on criteria that will be published with each selection round).
All other categories will be heavily restricted or temporarily suspended.
Key points to know:
1. Application volume and quotas:
- Over 5,200 applications are already in the queue, but only 4,000 nominations are available for 2025.
- New applications will be limited – approximately 1,100 new applications will be accepted, only in priority categories.
- The remaining 2,900 spots will be allocated among existing applications.
2. Skilled Worker Stream:
- General and targeted Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under Skills Immigration will be suspended in 2025.
- The province plans to invite only about 100 candidates with the highest economic impact from the existing candidate pool (over 10,000 profiles).
- Selection criteria may vary between rounds and will be published with each invitation.
- Early Childhood Educator Assistants will no longer be included in targeted draws.
- The first invitations under the "high economic impact" category are expected in early May.
3. Entrepreneur Stream:
- ITAs under the Entrepreneur Immigration stream will continue to be issued throughout 2025.
4. Health Authority Stream:
- Eligibility will be limited strictly to roles providing direct healthcare services – such as doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
- Social workers and psychological support therapists have also been added to the eligible list.
5. Student Streams:
- Applications submitted under the International Post-Graduate Stream from September 1, 2024, to January 7, 2025, will be placed on a waitlist.
- Applications under other streams submitted in 2024 and early 2025 will continue to be processed.
- BC is temporarily pausing the launch of three new student immigration streams.
The province is actively negotiating with the federal government to restore higher nomination quotas and prevent a loss of critical workers needed for British Columbia’s economy.
If you plan to apply through BC PNP, we highly recommend urgently revisiting your strategy based on the new realities.
We are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to help analyze your chances and alternative pathways.
We will be happy to address any inquiries you may have regarding the article's content or relocating to Canada on either a temporary or permanent basis, and provide you with any necessary support. You can send your question by email: contact@pb-immigration.com