British Columbia holds first-ever draw under new permanent residence pathway
British Columbia has held its first-ever draw under a new permanent residence pathway, inviting 60 cleaning and security workers employed by a B.C. health authority to apply for provincial nomination. The selection round, which took place on July 23, featured the province's lowest cut-off score of the year, at 50 points.
This new pathway is part of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) and aims to nominate up to 250 health authority cleaners and security staff through a one-time initiative. The initiative, known as the Temporary Rural / Remote Health Support initiative (TRHSI), is designed to address labour market needs in rural and remote areas of the province. To qualify for selection, candidates must have nine months of work experience in one of three eligible occupations, including janitors, caretakers, and heavy-duty cleaners (NOC 65312), light-duty cleaners (NOC 65310), and security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410), in a qualifying rural or remote area.
The specific mechanics of the TRHSI initiative require foreign nationals to have a "regular, indeterminate, full-time job" in one of the eligible occupations, in a qualifying rural or remote region. Before registering with the BCPNP, workers must accumulate a minimum of nine months of full-time employment in an eligible occupation with the same employer. B.C. health authority workers require a valid job offer both at the time of registration and at the time of application—and must continue to work full-time in that position for the entirety of the application process. Candidates must also hold a high school diploma, meet the minimum income requirement for the full nine months prior to registration and application submission, and satisfy the general requirements applicable to all Skills Immigration (SI) candidates.
According to the BCPNP, "regular, indeterminate, full-time job" is a key requirement for eligibility. The BCPNP notes that health authority cleaners and security staff with job offers in certain regional districts will not be eligible under this initiative, including the Central Okanagan Regional District, Metro Vancouver Regional District, and Capital Regional District, with exceptions for certain islands.
This new pathway is expected to benefit cleaning and security workers employed by B.C. health authorities, particularly those in rural and remote areas. The initiative is part of the BCPNP's efforts to attract skilled talent and address labour market needs, with a focus on strengthening healthcare and care-related services. Candidates from countries around the world who are working in these occupations in British Columbia may be eligible to apply for provincial nomination through this pathway.
For readers who are interested in applying for this pathway, the next step is to review the eligibility criteria and requirements on the BCPNP website and to assess their eligibility for the TRHSI initiative. Registrations for the TRHSI are open until August 31, 2026, and candidates must accumulate a minimum of nine months of full-time employment in an eligible occupation with the same employer before registering. Additionally, candidates can check the Express Entry draw tracker for the latest updates on Express Entry draws and other immigration pathways.
Original reporting: CIC News