THE BC PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM — BCPNP Priority Occupations

updated on December 16, 2022.

The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is an economic immigration program administered by the Government of British Columbia’s Immigration Programs Branch.

The program enables the province to select and nominate foreign workers, international students and entrepreneurs to help meet B.C.’s labour market needs, support government priorities, and help grow B.C.’s economy. If you are nominated, you and your family can apply to IRCC to become a permanent resident of Canada.

BC PNP Tech

BC PNP Tech provides B.C. tech employers with the continued ability to recruit and retain international talent in tech occupations when local skilled workers are unavailable. This initiative gives in-demand foreign workers and international students a pathway to permanent residence, so they can help grow our economy and build a great life here in B.C.

BC PNP Tech has supported more than 6,000 tech workers to be nominated for permanent residence since its launch in May 2017. BC PNP Tech helps ensure B.C. can continue to attract and retain the talent needed to sustain and grow the technology sector in the province.

Key Features

We conduct targeted tech-only draws to ensure that skilled tech applicants have priority access to the program. We also assign files to a dedicated team, resulting in more timely processing of tech applications.

We continue to proactively engage technology employers and industry stakeholders through targeted outreach and other activities, to keep up to date with the issues facing the tech sector in B.C.

Benefits to applicants:

• an immigration pathway that does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• work permit support letters for nominees so they can apply for a new work permit or renew their current work permit and continue to work throughout the federal permanent residence process
• client support services through email and phone until permanent residence

Supporting B.C.’s Care Economy

B.C. has a critical need for more health care workers and early childhood educators (ECEs). Under the BC PNP, these occupations are prioritized, increasing support for the care economy. Healthcare workers in select occupations and ECEs will be given priority access to apply, which provides a better chance for assessment under the program’s eligibility criteria.

Registrants whose occupation is on a pre-determined list of in-demand health occupations and ECEs, and who have a qualified, permanent job offer in B.C., will be given priority access to the BC PNP. The Health Authority stream is open to any occupation.

Priority access is achieved through direct-to-apply streams, such as workers employed by a Health Authority, or targeted draws for qualified workers with a job offer as an ECE or in one of the in-demand occupations in healthcare. As registrants / applicants and employers must continue to meet all relevant program criteria, please carefully review the BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide for specific details.

BCPNP Priority Occupations

This section contains priority occupations that may be invited to apply in periodic targeted draws.

• BC PNP Tech occupations
• BC PNP Care Economy: Healthcare occupations
• BC PNP Care Economy: Childcare occupations
• BC PNP Other priority occupations

For more information on draws, visit the Invitations to Apply page. For a description of the main duties for each occupation, visit the National Occupational Classification.

BC PNP Tech Occupations

1. 10030 Telecommunication carriers managers
2. 20012 Computer and information systems managers
3. 21100 Physicists and astronomers
4. 21210 Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
5. 21211 Data scientists
6. 21220 Cybersecurity specialists
7. 21221 Business systems specialists
8. 21222 Information systems specialists
9. 21223 Database analysts and data administrators
10. 21230 Computer systems developers and programmers
11. 21231 Software engineers and designers
12. 21232 Software developers and programmers
13. 21233 Web designers
14. 21234 Web developers and programmers
15. 21300 Civil engineers
16. 21301 Mechanical engineers
17. 21310 Electrical and electronics engineers
18. 21311 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
19. 21320 Chemical engineers
20. 21399 Other professional engineers
21. 22110 Biological technologists and technicians
22. 22220 Computer network and web technicians
23. 22221 User support technicians
24. 22222 Information systems testing technicians
25. 22310 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
26. 50011 Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
27. 22312 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
28. 51111 Authors and writers (except technical)
29. 51112 Technical writers
30. 51120 Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
31. 52119 Other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
32. 52112 Broadcast technicians
33. 52113 Audio and video recording technicians
34. 52120 Graphic designers and illustrators
35. 53111 Motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and performing arts assistants and operators

Care economy: Healthcare occupations

1. 30010 Managers in health care
2. 31300 Nursing coordinators and supervisors
3. 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
4. 31102 General practitioners and family physicians
5. 31110 Dentists
6. 31201 Chiropractors
7. 31120 Pharmacists
8. 31121 Dietitians and nutritionists
9. 31112 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
10. 31203 Occupational therapists
11. 32120 Medical laboratory technologists
12. 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
13. 32121 Medical radiation technologists
14. 32122 Medical sonographers
15. 32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
16. 32110 Denturists
17. 32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
18. 32101 Licensed practical nurses
19. 32102 Paramedical occupations
20. 41300 Social workers
21. 42201 Social and community service workers
22. 31100 Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
23. 31101 Specialists in surgery
24. 31302 Nurse practitioners
25. 31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
26. 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
27. 31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
28. 31202 Physiotherapists
29. 31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
30. 32120 Medical laboratory technologists
31. 32129 Other medical technologists and technicians
32. 32112 Dental technologists and technicians
33. 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
34. 32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
35. 33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
36. 31200 Psychologists
37. 41301 Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies
38. 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates *

*For the purposes of the BC PNP, only health care assistants / health care aides are eligible under NOC 33102.

Care economy: Childcare occupations

1. 42202 Early childhood educators and assistants

Other priority occupations

1. 31103 Veterinarians
2. 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians

For healthcare professionals

If you are a healthcare professional, you may wish to contact Health Match BC. They offer free recruitment services for select healthcare professions on behalf of B.C.’s health authorities.