British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has also officially switched on 2026 with great news to the skilled workers and immigration aspirants.
BC PNP released 429 invitations to apply (ITAs) on February 4, 2026, in its first Skills Immigration draw of the year, which is a huge and positive beginning of what will be an effective year in provincial immigration in British Columbia.
This is a positive development among potential immigrants to British Columbia, bearing in mind that the sharp terrain that characterized BC PNP attracts over the course of 2025.
The first draw of 2026 is a big round under the Skills Immigration stream which brings back hope to thousands of applicants who had been in the BC PNP registration pool.
As Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had previously raised the overall Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) quota as of 2026, the current first draw is an indication that British Columbia is setting out to maximize the chances of skilled workers who seek to obtain a permanent resident in Canada.
Key Details of the February 4, 2026 BC PNP Draw
The February 4, 2026, BC PNP draw was focused on individuals who will have an outstanding potential of contributing to the British Columbia economy.
Based on the official BC PNP site, invitations were made on two different criteria that would bring the best talent to the province.
The initial group invited 206 applicants who were of high-wage threshold standards.
These successful candidates had an offer of a minimum wage of $70/hour (equivalent to $145,000/year) and a job position in the NOC TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Such a wage-based selection will mean that British Columbia workers will be attracted to high paying professionals who can pay substantial levels of contribution to the provincial economy and tax base.
The second type invited 223 applicants according to their results in the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).
The lowest points score, which was used to qualify under this category of points, was 138 points, which means the candidates possessing good mixes of education, work experience, language, and job offers that satisfy the demand of BC labour market.
The reduced wage threshold of $ 70 per hour (a reduction over $ 105 per hour in early 2025) and lower points cutoff of 138 (as opposed to 150 points previously) are indicators of better candidate conditions.
Comparing the February 2026 Draw to Previous BC PNP Rounds
The invitations of 429 in the February 4, 2026, draw are a significant round in comparison to the limited activity of BC PNP toward 2025.
The use of 206 wage-based invitations and 223 points-based invitations indicates that the province uses a two-way method of recruiting high-impact candidates.
The wage floor of $70 per hour (or 145000 per year), represents a continuation of the trend of slowly reducing the requirements compared to the peak of $105 per hour in May 2025.
On the same note, the 138-point cutoff is a reduction of the 150 points needed in May 2025 and 140 points needed in October 2025.
Both of these changes indicate the process of making the life of candidates and the capacity of the BC PNP to invite more qualified applicants easier.
To compare with the past, prior to the allocation cuts in 2025, BC PNP used to do weekly draws that invited hundreds of candidates in general and targeted categories.
The reversion to standard, high levels of skills immigration will come as a refreshing normalcy to the thousands of applicants who have been languishing in the registration queue.
Understanding the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration Pool
The BC PNP Skills Immigration registration pool gives a great overview on the level of rivalry that potential nominees may face.
On January 6, 2026, the pool had 11, 210 registered candidates awaiting invitations, and these are spread out among different ranges of scores, which demonstrate the challenge and opportunity levels ahead.
On top of the list, there are 9 candidates who have scored 150 points and above and 67 candidates, which are in the 140-149 range.
The main part of the pool is in the middle score, 791 candidates with 130-139, 1,170 with 120-129 and 1,635 with 110-119.
The highest number of concentration is in 100-109 point range of 2,161 candidates and 2,048 candidates having 90-99 point.
The applicants registering in the lower score groups have a great setback with 1,530 in the 80-89, 996 in the 70-79, 480 in the 60-69 ranges, and 323 with the 60-69 or below marks.
These statistics remind us of the necessity of maximizing the score by effective work on language proficiency, education level, work experience, and the features of the job offers.
Applicants seeking to boost their profiles are advised to look at strategies discussed in the resources on increasing the Express Entry CRS scores (and most of them are relevant to BC PNP scoring).
IRCC Increases 2026 PNP Quota Nationwide
The draw in 2026 will be the first BC PNP draw in a radically better backdrop than the previous provincial immigration in Canada.
In November 2025, IRCC set its Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028 that featured a significant 66 percent rise in Provincial Nominee Program admission objectives.
The national PNP admission target has increased to 91,500 as of 2026 compared to 55,000 in 2025 with even more scheduled increases in the years afterwards.
This is a major turnaround to the restrictive trend of the past year and indicates that the federal government has come to the renewal of confidence in provincial Nominee programs as catalysts to regional economic development.
In the case of British Columbia, IRCC had a nomination quota of 5,254 spaces in the year 2026.
Although this is not as high as the 9,000 nominations that BC had demanded in order to satisfy its labour market demands, this is a significant increment of the original 2025 figure of 4,000.
BC has already stated that it will keep on negotiating with IRCC on the possible further nominations and we assume that IRCC will raise the quota.
The new immigration levels are available in Canada PNP 2026 New Immigration Plan.
BC PNP Skills Immigration Fee Increase in 2026
Soon to be BC PNP applicants would also need to remember one important change which occurred earlier this year.
The BC PNP also raised its Skills Immigration application fee by raising the application fee by 275 or about 18.6 percent, increasing the application fee to 1,750 on January 22, 2026.
The reason behind this change in fee is that the program continues to operate and to have the resources necessary to handle the applications effectively.
Applicants who are invited to apply ought to include this increment in the immigration budget with the rest of the fees like federal permanent residence application fees, language tests, educational credential tests and settlement funds.
The increase in the fee is in all the Skills Immigration streams, such as the Skilled Worker stream, the International Graduate stream and the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled stream.
It also applies to those candidates who have applied using the express entry BC route.
To get the details of current fees and application requirements, please refer to the official Welcome BC site.
What Happens After Receiving a BC PNP Invitation
The February 4, 2026, draw has a time frame of applicants getting a notification to present full applications to the BC PNP.
Knowledge of the timeline and requirements can be used to guarantee the process of nomination to be done successfully.
When invited to apply, the candidates are usually given 30 days before the application package can be sent to BC PNP via the online portal.
In this package, the supporting documents will consist of evidence of job offer, language test results, education qualifications, and work experience verification and the application fee of 1,750.
Historically the process of Skills Immigration application to BCPNP has taken a range of 3-4 months processing time of 80 percent of applications, although the process can take longer depending on the volume of applicants and complexity.
In processing, BC PNP can demand extra documents or clarification, and hence keeping neat records and responding to demands is a way of preventing delays.
After being nominated by British Columbia, nominees are given a provincial nomination certificate and are allowed to apply for permanent residence either via the Express Entry system (in a stream aligned with Express Entry, that is, the Express Entry stream) or via the non-Express Entry base paper system.
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program BC PNP has several options for candidates of different levels of qualifications.
The present IRCC processing times suggest what can be expected in the federal permanent residence applications.
How to Position Yourself for Future BC PNP Draws
To be successful in the BC PNP, you have to prepare and consider various factors that can make you score higher in registration and be eligible in general.
A number of major areas are worth attention as you prepare to attract in 2026.
The language proficiency is one of the most influential elements in the BC PNP scoring.
High marks in the English language (CLB 8 or above in all bands) would add to your points significantly and would inform the potential employers and immigration officers that you can be successfully incorporated into the workforce of British Columbia.
Reconsider doing IELTS or CELPIP in the event that your present score has room to improve because even a slight improvement can make significant differences in terms of competition attractions.
It is essential to obtain a good employment offer with a BC employer when it comes to most streams of PNPs.
Your wage level will directly affect your score with more points being scored with higher wages.
Moreover, employment opportunities are also available elsewhere beyond the Metro Vancouver Regional District, which could earn extra regional points, so jobs in smaller communities are especially good in terms of immigration.
Before applying, educational credentials are to be evaluated and accepted. In case you did not obtain education in Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) will make sure that your qualification is appropriately credited in BC PNP scoring system.
More points are generally awarded to higher education and qualifications in areas that match the priorities of the BC labour market can be given a bonus.
Work experience, especially Canadian work experience boosts your profile significantly.
BC PNP gives preference to the applicants who have proved to work successfully in Canada, and the experience directly related to your job offer in British Columbia is of a specific value.
In Canada, opportunities are covered in numerous resources that allow the candidates to monitor the work permits opportunities.
With British Columbia still automating its 2026 priorities and, possibly, acquiring more nomination spaces as the discussions with the IRCC progress, the province is still determined to recruit talent that will spur economic growth and solve key labour gaps.
This initial draw of 2026 offers fresh hope and hard-to-refute proof that opportunity knocks upon those who are ready to take it to Canadian immigrants in the BC PNP registration pool, as well as those who might be contemplating the creation of a profile.