British Columbia has issued 714 invitations to apply under the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), its largest Innovate: High Economic Impact round of 2026.
The draws were held on September 24, 2026 under the BC PNP’s Innovate: High Economic Impact category, which selects candidates expected to deliver the greatest economic benefit to the province rather than those working in a named priority occupation.
The larger of the two rounds issued 426 invitations to candidates holding a job offer in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation paying at least $52 per hour and $105,000 per year. No minimum registration score applied to this wage-based selection.
A second round issued 288 invitations to the highest-scoring candidates in the registration pool, at a minimum score of 131 points.
Once again, the headline change is the wage threshold. The September 24 draw invited candidates earning $52 per hour and $105,000 per year, down from $55 per hour and $110,000 per year on August 20 and $58 per hour and $115,000 per year on July 16. It is the third consecutive Innovate round in which British Columbia has lowered the high-wage bar, and the lowest wage threshold the province has used in 2026.
The points threshold also eased slightly, to 131 from 132 in both the July 16 and August 20 rounds.
For the second month in a row, the wage-based selection was the larger of the two, accounting for 426 of the 714 invitations.
At 714 invitations, the September 24 draw exceeds the 602 issued on August 20, the 569 issued on July 16 and the 484 issued on April 22, making it the largest Innovate: High Economic Impact round held so far in 2026.
The invitations were issued under British Columbia’s “Care, Build, Innovate” framework, which restructured the Skills Immigration program in April 2026 to direct provincial nominations toward roles the province considers critical to its labour market and public services. Care and Build rounds target named health care, childcare, education, veterinary and construction occupations; Innovate rounds target economic impact through wage levels and registration scores.
The BC PNP issues invitations only to qualified registrations submitted before the date of the draw. Invited candidates must submit a complete application through BC PNP Online within the timeframe set out in their invitation.
BC PNP Innovate: High Economic Impact Draw — September 24, 2026
| Stream | Invitations | Min. Score | Selection Factors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innovate: High Economic Impact (high-wage) | 426 | N/A | Minimum wage of $52/hour and $105,000/year, and a job offer in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 |
| Innovate: High Economic Impact (points) | 288 | 131 | Highest-scoring registrations in the pool |
| Total | 714 |
How The Innovate Thresholds Have Moved In 2026
| Draw Date | Wage Threshold | Wage-Based Invitations | Min. Score (Points Round) | Points-Based Invitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 24, 2026 | $52/hour and $105,000/year | 426 | 131 | 288 |
| August 20, 2026 | $55/hour and $110,000/year | 337 | 132 | 265 |
| July 16, 2026 | $58/hour and $115,000/year | 223 | 132 | 346 |
| June 18, 2026 | $62/hour and $125,000/year | 130 | 136 | 149 |
| May 14, 2026 | $59/hour and $120,000/year | 225 | 135 | 212 |
British Columbia’s Registration Pool
The BC PNP Skills Immigration registration pool held 8,013 registrations as of September 1, 2026, the most recent snapshot published by the province. Of those, 223 scored 130 points or higher — the range from which the points-based Innovate round draws.
A provincial nomination through the BC PNP is worth 600 additional points under the federal Comprehensive Ranking System, which in practice guarantees an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry round.
Official draw details are published by the province on WelcomeBC. For a full record of this year’s rounds, see our British Columbia immigration draws page.
Candidates with a high-wage job offer in British Columbia, or a registration score in the low 130s, are now in range of an invitation under the Innovate category. If you’re hoping to immigrate to Canada, use our free CRS score calculator to estimate your Comprehensive Ranking System score and see how a provincial nomination would change your standing in the Express Entry pool.