BC PNP Invites 602 High-Impact Candidates in Largest 2026 Draw

British Columbia issued 602 invitations to apply for provincial nomination through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) on August 20, 2026.

The Skills Immigration selection targeted candidates under the province’s Innovate: High Economic Impact objective. Invitations were issued through two separate sets of selection criteria: qualifying job offers and wages, or a minimum BC PNP registration score.

The province’s official BC PNP invitations page confirms the draw results.

August 20 BC PNP draw results

Selection factor	Minimum requirement	Invitations
Job offer and wage	At least $55 per hour and $110,000 annually, with a job offer in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3	337
Registration score	At least 132 points	265
Total	Two separate selection routes	602

Candidates did not need to satisfy both sets of selection criteria. The province selected 337 registrations through the wage-and-job-offer route and another 265 through the points route.

The official results do not identify specific occupations selected in this round.

Largest BC PNP selection of 2026 so far

With 602 invitations, the August 20 round was British Columbia’s largest Skills Immigration selection of 2026 at the time of publication.

The total exceeded the 569 invitations issued in the previous high-economic-impact round on July 16.

Draw date	Wage-based invitations	Points-based invitations	Total
August 20, 2026	337	265	602
July 16, 2026	223	346	569
June 18, 2026	130	149	279
May 14, 2026	225	212	437
April 22, 2026	252	232	484
February 11, 2026	195	265	460
February 4, 2026	206	223	429

The wage threshold in the August round was also lower than in the previous high-economic-impact selection.

On July 16, the wage-based route required at least $58 per hour and $115,000 annually. On August 20, those thresholds were $55 per hour and $110,000 annually.

The minimum registration score remained unchanged at 132 points.

Future BC PNP draws may use different criteria, thresholds and invitation numbers. Meeting a previous cutoff does not guarantee an invitation in a future round.

What is the Innovate objective?

British Columbia organizes targeted Skills Immigration invitations around provincial economic and labour-market objectives.

Under the Innovate objective, the BC PNP may target highly skilled workers who can support innovation, productivity and economic growth across different sectors.

This selection was described as a high-economic-impact round. It was not limited to one published list of occupations such as healthcare, childcare, education, veterinary care or construction.

For the wage-based portion, however, candidates needed a qualifying job offer in a National Occupational Classification position at TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, along with both published wage thresholds.

Candidates should verify that:

• The NOC code matches the position’s actual duties
• The job offer satisfies the applicable BC PNP stream requirements
• The hourly and annual wages meet the selection criteria
• The employer remains eligible to support the application
• The information in the registration remains accurate

A job title alone does not establish the correct NOC classification. The lead statement and main duties should correspond substantially with the selected occupation.

What the 132-point requirement means

The other 265 invitations were issued to candidates with BC PNP registration scores of at least 132 points.

This is a BC PNP registration score, not a federal Comprehensive Ranking System score.

The BC PNP may award registration points based on human-capital and economic factors, including:

• Directly related work experience
• Education
• English or French language ability
• The wage of the B.C. job offer
• The location of employment in British Columbia
• Other factors contained in the current Skills Immigration Program Guide

Candidates should not compare a BC PNP score of 132 directly with an Express Entry CRS score. The two systems use different criteria and serve different stages of the immigration process.

This was not an Express Entry draw

The August 20 selection was a provincial invitation round conducted by the BC PNP. It was not a federal Express Entry round conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

An invitation from British Columbia allows the recipient to submit an application for provincial nomination. It does not itself grant:

• A provincial nomination
• Federal permanent residence
• A work permit
• Legal status in Canada
• Guaranteed approval at either the provincial or federal stage

The BC PNP must first assess the complete provincial application.

If British Columbia approves the application, the candidate receives a provincial nomination and may proceed to the applicable federal permanent residence process.

Candidates can review IRCC’s Provincial Nominee Program overview for information about the federal stage.

Invited candidates have 30 calendar days

A candidate who receives a BC PNP Skills Immigration invitation has up to 30 calendar days from the invitation date to submit a complete application through the BC PNP Online User Portal.

According to the current provincial program guide, this 30-day period cannot be extended.

If an invited candidate does not submit an application within the deadline:

• The invitation expires
• The registration is removed from the pool
• The candidate must submit a new registration to be considered again
• A future invitation is not guaranteed

The precise deadline displayed in the candidate’s BC PNP account should be treated as controlling.

Information must continue to support the invitation

Receiving an invitation does not guarantee nomination.

The BC PNP will assess whether the candidate continues to meet:

• The requirements of the selected Skills Immigration stream
• The factors used to issue the invitation
• The declared registration score, where applicable
• The wage and job-offer conditions, where applicable
• Employer eligibility requirements
• Immigration-status requirements
• Documentation and program-integrity requirements

An application may be refused if the evidence does not support the information entered in the registration.

For candidates invited through the wage-based selection, the supporting documents should confirm both the hourly and annual wage figures, the qualifying NOC TEER level and the genuine terms of employment.

Candidates invited through the points route should recalculate their score if anything has changed since registration.

Documents to begin reviewing

The required evidence depends on the applicant’s stream and individual circumstances. An invited candidate may need documents relating to:

• Passport and immigration status
• B.C. employment and job offer
• Employer eligibility and business operations
• Wage, hours and employment conditions
• Work experience
• Education and credentials
• Language-test results
• Professional registration or licensing, when required
• Family members
• Settlement and residence plans
• An active federal Express Entry profile, if using an Express Entry BC option

The applicant and supporting employer should coordinate immediately because both may need to provide detailed records.

The official BC PNP worker pathway explains the registration, invitation and application process.

Candidates can also review the Always Canada Group British Columbia PNP guide for an overview of available provincial pathways.

Practical next steps for invited candidates

Candidates invited on August 20 should:

1. Sign in to the BC PNP Online User Portal and confirm the invitation details.
2. Record the exact application deadline displayed in the account.
3. Confirm whether the invitation was based on wage and job offer or registration points.
4. Verify continued eligibility for the selected Skills Immigration stream.
5. Review the current program and application guides.
6. Confirm the correct NOC code using the position’s actual duties.
7. Recheck the hourly wage, annual wage, work hours and employment terms.
8. Recalculate the registration score if invited through the points route.
9. Verify that language results and immigration documents remain valid.
10. Contact the supporting employer for all required business and employment records.
11. Explain any differences between the registration and supporting evidence.
12. Upload clear, complete and accurate documents.
13. Pay the applicable fee and submit within 30 calendar days.
14. Save the submitted application, supporting documents and payment confirmation.
15. Monitor the online account for provincial correspondence.

Candidates who want an individualized review may book a consultation with Always Canada Group.

What candidates who were not invited can do

Candidates remaining in the registration pool should keep their information accurate and monitor changes that could affect eligibility or points.

Possible steps include:

• Improving approved English or French language results
• Obtaining additional directly related work experience
• Completing further education or eligible credentials
• Reviewing whether the job offer’s NOC code is accurate
• Discussing eligible wage or employment changes with the employer
• Checking whether another BC PNP objective or pathway fits their circumstances
• Monitoring the expiry of language tests, passports and immigration status
• Following official BC PNP invitation results

A candidate should not enter an inflated wage, incorrect NOC code or unsupported information to improve their score. The province verifies the information during the application assessment.

Key takeaway

British Columbia invited 602 Skills Immigration candidates on August 20, 2026, in its largest selection round of the year so far.

The BC PNP issued 337 invitations to candidates with qualifying TEER 0–3 job offers paying at least $55 per hour and $110,000 annually. Another 265 invitations went to candidates with registration scores of at least 132.

Invited candidates have up to 30 calendar days to submit a complete provincial application. An invitation is only the opportunity to apply for nomination and does not guarantee provincial nomination or permanent residence.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. BC PNP selection criteria, program requirements and procedures may change. Verify the current instructions with WelcomeBC and IRCC before applying.