The government of British Columbia has recently published its highly anticipated "2024 Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Annual Report." This document not only offers a comprehensive review of the past year's nomination data but also provides an in-depth analysis of the occupations, salaries, and national origins of nominees, while highlighting key adjustments made to its immigration policies, particularly those affecting international students.

A Deep Dive into Nomination Data: A Focus on Skills Immigration and Labour Market Needs

The report indicates that British Columbia successfully met its federally allocated immigration quota for 2024, issuing a total of 8,000 nominations and paving the way for thousands of applicants to gain Canadian permanent residence.

Of these nominations, the Skills Immigration (SI) stream was the absolute dominant category, with 7,972 nominations, accounting for 99% of the total. The remaining 28 nominations were issued under the Entrepreneur Immigration stream. This data clearly signals that the core objective of the BC PNP is to attract and retain workers who possess the skills, experience, and qualifications needed by the province.

The distribution of nominations within the Skills Immigration category is as follows:

• Skilled Worker: 35%
• Health Authority: 23%
• International Graduate: 20%
• International Post-Graduate: 19%
• Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS): 3%

Notably, the report emphasizes that 81% of all Skills Immigration nominees in 2024 held a valid job offer, highlighting the BC PNP's policy focus on addressing genuine gaps in the provincial labour market.

Shifting Occupational Trends: ECEs and Tech Talent in High Demand

In 2024, the occupational distribution of nominees saw a significant shift. Driven by the provincial government's strong policy of prioritizing Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), the "Education, law and social, community and government services" category surged to become the largest nominee group, accounting for 23.5% of the total. This shift reflects B.C.'s dedicated efforts to address the shortage in childcare services.

"Natural and applied sciences and related occupations" followed closely at 16.3%, indicating that the technology sector remains a critical area for talent attraction in B.C. Other major occupational categories included:

• Health: 12.1%
• Sales and service: 12%
• Business, finance and administration: 8%
• Trades, transport and equipment operators and related: 7.4%

Nominee Profile: Salaries, Countries of Origin, and Regional Distribution

The report also disclosed the salary levels of Skills Immigration nominees. The median annual salaries for the main streams were:

• Skilled Worker: $72,800 CAD
• Health Authority: $56,992 CAD
• International Graduate: $51,501 CAD
• Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled: $39,520 CAD

Regarding countries of origin, the top five source countries for Skills Immigration nominees in 2024 were, in order: India, China, the Philippines, Iran, and Nigeria.

Furthermore, to promote balanced development across the province, the BC PNP continues to encourage immigration to communities outside of Metro Vancouver. Data shows that in 2024, 42% of all nominees settled outside the Metro Vancouver area, helping to distribute the economic and cultural benefits of immigration more broadly across the province.

Major Policy Changes in 2024 and Future Outlook

2024 marked a year of significant policy reform for the BC PNP. In March, the provincial government announced the upcoming closure of the existing "International Graduate" and "International Post-Graduate" streams.

The original plan was to replace these with three new, distinct streams for Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degree holders. However, due to a reduced federal immigration allocation for 2025, the provincial government has decided to pause the launch of these new streams. This change introduces uncertainty for the immigration pathways of future international students and is a critical development for all potential applicants to monitor.

On a positive note, the Entrepreneur Immigration category also saw a significant adjustment. In May 2024, B.C. made its "Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot" a permanent program, now known as the "BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Stream." This provides a more stable immigration option for foreign entrepreneurs interested in starting a business in one of B.C.'s smaller communities.