The news came as a shock in early 2025. British Columbia, a province already stretched thin trying to address healthcare shortages, housing gaps, and a booming population, learned that its immigration nomination allocation had been cut drastically by the federal government. From 8,000 nominations in 2024, every one of which the province had used, to just 4,000 for the entire 2025 calendar year. That’s a 50% reduction at a time when B.C. had requested an increase to 11,000.
This change meant that every nomination, every new immigrant the province could welcome under the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), had to count. In response, the provincial government immediately began restructuring its program—prioritizing urgent workforce needs while striving to remain as fair as possible to those already waiting.
Rebuilding with what’s left
When B.C. had a full nomination allocation in 2024, it used every spot—8,000 skilled workers and entrepreneurs whose contributions supported critical sectors like healthcare, construction, childcare, and housing. Now, with only 4,000 nominations for 2025, the province has set a new strategy: processing most of its existing inventory and accepting only around 1,100 new applications, the vast majority of which are reserved for high-priority healthcare occupations.
These changes shift the BC PNP from being a broadly accessible economic immigration tool to a precision instrument targeting B.C.’s most critical needs. Nominees now must directly contribute to the delivery of healthcare services—doctors, nurses, and allied-health professionals are at the top of the list. According to an immigration consultant’s perspective, this represents a necessary, albeit painful, adjustment: “The provincial nominee program is B.C.’s only direct tool to retain talent it already has, and it must now be used with laser focus.”
Managing the growing backlog
In 2025, the province is taking a triage approach to its nomination backlog. Here’s how the applications are being managed:
- All applications submitted in 2024 for job-offer-based streams will be processed, meaning foreign workers already in B.C. with employer support can expect decisions this year.
- International Post-Graduate (IPG) stream applications received before September 1, 2024, will also be processed in 2025.
- IPG applications submitted between September 1, 2024, and January 7, 2025 (when the stream officially closed), will be waitlisted—only to be considered if federal nominations increase.
- The number of IPG applications more than doubled from 2023 levels before the stream closed, leading to the current bottleneck.
- While many IPG applicants hold three-year post-graduate work permits, some are nearing expiration. The province is currently in discussions with IRCC to explore temporary extensions of these work permits to prevent talent loss.
Severely limited new application intake
The BC PNP will only accept around 1,100 new applications in 2025. Priority will be given to healthcare positions listed in the province’s updated Health Authority Stream, which remains open but far more selective. This stream now includes a restricted list of healthcare occupations such as:
- Registered nurses
- Physicians and surgeons
- Medical laboratory technologists
- Physiotherapists
- Diagnostic imaging professionals
For other occupations, there is no opportunity to apply in 2025 under general or priority occupation invitations. In fact, only about 100 invitations to apply (ITAs) will be issued across the entire BC PNP, and only to those with the highest potential economic impact—a stark contrast to the hundreds regularly issued in previous years.
This reduced intake has paused the launch of several previously announced student-focused immigration streams. The province is also tightening eligibility criteria in some fields. For example, the program will now differentiate between early childhood educators and their assistants, and will develop clearer qualification guidelines for social and community service workers—roles that require deep specialization and consistency.
What this means for workers and employers
From an immigration consultant’s perspective, this is a sobering but strategic shift. While it undeniably reduces opportunities for many skilled immigrants and international graduates, it also reinforces the province’s commitment to keeping those who are already contributing in the most vital sectors.
Eligibility to apply under the current BC PNP framework in 2025 is primarily limited to:
- Individuals with job offers from a recognized B.C. health authority
- Healthcare professionals in high-priority occupations
- International Post-Graduate applicants who submitted before September 2024
- Exceptional cases with high economic impact, evaluated through select ITAs
The BC PNP application fee remains $1,150. Processing timelines may extend due to reduced resources and an increasing backlog, especially for waitlisted applications.
