British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) entered 2024 on track for growth, only to see Ottawa cut its allocation from an expected 9,000 to 8,000 nominations. Despite the federal cap – and the news that the 2025 allocation will fall to just 4,000 – the province fully used its quota and re-engineered its selection strategy. Childcare and healthcare workers surged to the front of the line, technology’s long-standing dominance weakened and more nominees than ever chose communities outside Metro Vancouver. This article dissects those trends, drawing on the data in the BC PNP Statistical Report and Year in Review 2024.
On this page you will find
- Background on federal quota cuts and provincial response
- Detailed breakdown of Skills Immigration streams
- Surge in childcare and healthcare nominations
- Wage and occupational mix analysis
- Expansion of regional settlements
- Entrepreneur Immigration results and investments
- Key performance measures and 2025 outlook
Federal Allocation and Provincial Context
The BC PNP remains the province’s only direct tool for selecting economic immigrants. In 2023, British Columbia welcomed a record 70,825 new permanent residents, but federal policy later pivoted to slow temporary-resident inflows and shift more people already in Canada into permanent status. That pivot squeezed provincial allocations. B.C. asked for 11,000 nominations for 2025, yet Ottawa granted only 4,000 – less than half its 2024 allotment.
Faced with fewer spots, the program paused parts of its intake, wound down two international student streams and delayed new degree-level streams meant to replace them. It also doubled down on labour-market gaps that provincial ministries flagged as urgent. These realities frame every number that follows.
Skills Immigration – A Detailed Look
Nomination Volume and Stream Breakdown
Of the 8,000 total 2024 nominations, 7,972 went to the Skills Immigration (SI) component:
- 35 per cent went to the Skilled Worker stream.
- 39 per cent went to the International Graduate and International Post-Graduate streams.
- 18 per cent landed in the Health Authority stream, the fastest-growing category.
- Only 3 per cent involved Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled candidates.
The program issued 6,006 invitations to apply (ITAs) through its expression-of-interest system, converting more than 80 per cent of them into full applications.
Priority Occupations – Childcare and Health
Prioritisation of the “care economy” transformed SI intake. Early childhood educators (ECEs) rose from 842 nominations in 2023 to 1,279 in 2024 – a 52 per cent jump. Healthcare nominations climbed even faster, from 779 to 1,339, including 107 physicians and 374 registered nurses and nurse practitioners. In total, 16.8 per cent of all SI nominees worked in clinical health occupations.
Why the rush?
Provincial ministries flagged childcare expansion and hospital staffing as critical to economic resilience and social well-being. The BC PNP responded by:
- Awarding extra points for ECE and health roles.
- Running targeted invitation rounds exclusively for those NOC codes.
- Offering concierge support for public health-authority employers.
Technology’s Retreat
Between 2017 and 2023, tech workers averaged nearly one-third of SI nominees. That changed in 2024 when their share fell to 16 per cent – 1,302 people compared with 2,490 the year before. The decline does not signal a cooling tech sector; rather, the province consciously reallocated invitations to childcare, health and construction.
Construction Surge
November 2023 marked the first targeted draws for construction trades as part of B.C.’s plan to “deliver more homes, faster”. Full-year figures in 2024 show 496 construction nominees – a 675 per cent leap over 2023.
Wage Trends – What the Numbers Mean
Median hourly wages for SI nominees fell from $34.25 in 2023 to $29.00 in 2024 – now $2.25 below the provincial median of $31.25. Average wages for Skilled Worker nominees dipped to $72,800, while International Graduate salaries slid to $51,501. The main driver is occupational mix: ECEs and several non-clinical health jobs pay less than most tech roles. Even so, 99 per cent of nominees earned more than the provincial minimum wage, and Skilled Worker earnings remain well above provincial medians.
Lower nominee wages therefore reflect labour-market priorities, not deteriorating job quality. Over time, the province expects wage figures to track the balance between high-salary tech occupations and lower-paid but socially vital care roles.
Regional Expansion – Shifting Beyond Metro Vancouver
Provincial officials set a goal of at least 35 per cent of SI nominees landing outside Metro Vancouver by 2025. They exceeded it two years early: 42 per cent of 2024 nominee workers settled in regional B.C.
Breakdown by development region:
- Vancouver Island/Coast – 16.2 per cent (notably Victoria and Nanaimo).
- Thompson/Okanagan – 11.6 per cent (Kelowna, Kamloops).
- Cariboo, Northeast and North Coast – modest but growing shares.
Within Metro Vancouver, the City of Vancouver retained top spot (22 per cent of all nominees), yet Surrey and Burnaby together accepted even more newcomers. Points for regional job offers, study outside the Lower Mainland and employer targeting all feed the trend.
Entrepreneur Immigration – Lean, Regional and Permanent
Transition to a Permanent Regional Stream
Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) accounts for a maximum five per cent of BC PNP nominations, but its influence on regional economies is outsized. In March 2024, the pilot Regional stream became permanent. It allows small communities to pre-screen entrepreneurs whose business plans align with local development priorities.
2024 by the Numbers
- Registrations: 111 Base-stream and 16 Regional registrations.
- Applications: 34 Base, 8 Regional.
- Work-permit approvals: 34 entrepreneurs (24 Base, 10 Regional).
- Nominations: 28 entrepreneurs created 67 jobs and invested $12 million.
- Location: 75 per cent chose communities outside Metro Vancouver, with the Cariboo attracting nearly a quarter of all EI nominees.
Over the past decade, EI nominees have launched 438 businesses, hired 1,433 workers and invested $208 million province-wide.
Performance Measures and Strategic Objectives
- Wages: Keep median nominee wages within a “reasonable range” of provincial medians. 2024 fell slightly below but met minimum-wage safeguards.
- Regional Settlements: Target 35 per cent (SI) and 60 per cent (EI) outside Metro Vancouver. Results – 42 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, both above target.
- Essential Services: Ramp up nominations in health, childcare and veterinary care. 2024 delivered record highs in each category.
These metrics align with provincial strategies such as StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan and Good Lives in Strong Communities, aiming to spread talent and services across the province.
Outlook for 2025 – Fewer Spots, Sharper Focus
With only 4,000 nominations available, B.C. must cut new invitations roughly in half unless Ottawa revises the number. Officials intend to:
- Maintain care-economy prioritisation until staffing stabilises.
- Keep regional point incentives high to match workforce goals outside the Lower Mainland.
- Revisit tech invitations once childcare and health pressures ease.
- Monitor wage trends to ensure nominee self-sufficiency.
Expect tight competition, shorter invitation rounds and even more targeted draws.
Willingness to Rebalance
The 2024 BC PNP results reveal a program that can pivot quickly under federal constraints. By funnelling spots to childcare, healthcare, construction and regional communities, the province tackled immediate service gaps while meeting broader economic goals. Technology workers still matter, but the 2024 intake shows B.C.’s willingness to rebalance when public priorities shift. This year’s smaller quota will test how far that flexibility can stretch – and whether Ottawa’s numbers match the province’s economic ambitions.
FAQ
How many people did the BC PNP nominate in 2024?
B.C. used its full federal allocation of 8,000 nominations – 7,972 for workers and 28 for entrepreneurs – despite mid-year quota reductions.
Why did childcare and healthcare numbers rise so quickly?
Provincial policy prioritised occupations that support child-care expansion, hospital staffing and seniors’ care. Targeted invitation rounds and bonus points steered more spots to these roles, producing sharp year-over-year increases.
What explains the fall in technology nominations?
B.C. reallocated invitations from tech to essential services and construction trades to meet urgent provincial goals. Reduced federal quotas also compressed total numbers, amplifying the decline for tech candidates.
Are newcomers really moving outside Metro Vancouver?
Yes. Points for regional job offers and experience plus the Entrepreneur Regional stream pushed 42 per cent of worker nominees and 75 per cent of entrepreneurs to areas such as Vancouver Island, the Okanagan and the Cariboo.
Will wage levels rebound in 2025?
Wages hinge on the occupational mix. If B.C. continues to draw more early childhood educators and similar roles, median wages may stay modest. A future rebound in tech or senior-level roles would lift the average.
