What closed and what is open
On 2026-04-23 BC PNP announced that it will not launch new student streams, that international graduates may apply through the existing streams, and that education completed in B.C. or Canada keeps earning registration points. Skills Immigration now has two streams, Skilled Worker and Health Authority, and both need a full-time job offer from a B.C. employer.
Source: WelcomeBC, News, announcement of 2026-04-23; BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide, part 4, checked 2026-10-09.
The Skilled Worker stream
- Job offer: a full-time, indeterminate TEER 0 to 3 position with a B.C. employer.
- Work experience: at least 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work in the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad. Graduates usually build these 2 years on a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
- Language: TEER 2 and 3 jobs need CLB 4 in all four skills; for TEER 0 and 1 jobs a test is optional at registration but earns points.
Registration is free and scored out of 200; a registration not invited within 12 months leaves the pool.
Source: BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide, sections 3.4, 4.1 and 7.1, checked 2026-10-09.
Points for education
| Highest education | Registration points |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 27 |
| Master's degree | 22 |
| Post-graduate certificate or diploma | 15 |
| Bachelor's degree | 15 |
| Associate degree | 5 |
| Post-secondary diploma or certificate | 5 |
If that highest level was completed at a post-secondary institution in B.C., add 8 points; elsewhere in Canada, add 6. Study must exceed six months; language training and distance programs earn no points.
Source: BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide, section 8.2, checked 2026-10-09.
Express Entry: the Canadian Experience Class
The CEC needs 1 year (1,560 hours) of authorized work in Canada in the 3 years before you apply, in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 jobs. Work done while studying full time, including co-op terms, does not count. CEC draws in 2026 have cut at 507 to 523 points.
Source: IRCC, Canadian Experience Class (updated 2026-09-24); IRCC, Express Entry rounds (to 2026-09-29), checked 2026-10-09.
The post-graduation work permit
A PGWP is granted once: if you held one after an earlier program, you cannot get another. A program of 2 years or more can lead to a PGWP of up to 3 years, and a master's program of at least 8 months can too. If your passport expires before the PGWP would, you can extend it after renewing the passport; that is the only extension.
Source: IRCC, About the post-graduation work permit (updated 2026-03-09), checked 2026-10-09.
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot
The federal Rural Community Immigration Pilot covers 14 communities, 3 of them in B.C.: West Kootenay, North Okanagan Shuswap and Peace Liard. You need a job offer from an employer the community has designated, and a community recommendation.
Source: IRCC, Rural Community Immigration Pilot (updated 2026-04-30); IRCC, RCIP job offer, checked 2026-10-09.
Details are on the BC PNP program page.