British Columbia Expands Immigration Opportunities in 2025
British Columbia Gets More Immigration Nominations
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has received an increase of 1,254 nominations, allowing the province to invite more people to apply for permanent residency.
Because of this, BC will now start processing some of the International Post-Graduate (IPG) applications that were submitted in 2024.
New Nomination Limit for 2025
With this update, BC’s total number of nominations for 2025 has increased from 4,000 to 5,254.
This means the province has now recovered about 69% of its 2024 quota, which had been 8,000 slots.
The announcement about this increase was made on October 2, 2025, through the Government of British Columbia’s official website.
How BC Will Use These Extra Nominations
Since BC has received more nomination spots, the province plans to use them mainly to process part of the 2,240 pending International Post-Graduate (IPG) applications that were waitlisted from last year.
Earlier this year, on April 14, the government had said that IPG applications submitted between September 1, 2024, and January 7, 2025 would be put on hold until more nominations became available.
Now, with the new slots, BC will start processing some of those pending files.
Other Focus Areas for the Additional Nominations
Apart from the IPG stream, BC will also direct the extra nominations toward its key immigration priorities, such as:
- Bringing in more healthcare professionals
- Encouraging entrepreneurs to invest and start businesses
- Attracting high-impact skilled workers who can contribute to BC’s economy
However, BC clearly stated that it will not expand other programs or priorities in 2025 until it receives even more nomination slots from the federal government.
Why Was the BC PNP Quota Reduced Initially?
To understand this better, it’s important to know why BC’s allocation was reduced in the first place.
Due to concerns about Canada’s housing shortage and pressure on social services, the federal government decided to slow down overall immigration.
Under the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government reduced the permanent resident target from 485,000 (in 2024) to 395,000 (in 2025).
As a result, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) across Canada faced a 50% cut, bringing their combined total target down to 55,000 landings, compared to 110,000 the previous year.
Invitations Issued by BC So Far in 2025
So far this year, BC has mainly focused on Entrepreneur Immigration draws, which aim to attract business owners and investors.
Interestingly, only two of the nine draws in 2025 have targeted skilled workers under the Skills Immigration category, even though that group has received the most invitations overall.
Skills Immigration Draws
| Draw Date | Invitations Issued |
|---|---|
| May 8, 2025 | 94 |
| October 2, 2025 | 474 |
| Total | 568 |
Entrepreneur Immigration Draws
| Draw Date | Invitations Issued |
|---|---|
| January 28, 2025 | <10 |
| March 18, 2025 | <13 |
| April 15, 2025 | 5 |
| May 28, 2025 | <14 |
| July 8, 2025 | <17 |
| August 19, 2025 | <16 |
| October 2, 2025 | 11 |
| Total | No more than 86 |
Other Provinces That Received More Nominations
BC isn’t the only province to get additional nomination slots this year.
Following the nationwide 50% cut, many provinces and territories requested higher allocations to support their economic and labour needs.
Throughout 2025, the following regions also received increased allocations from the federal government:
- Alberta
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
- Northwest Territories
In Summary
British Columbia has received a boost in immigration spots, raising its 2025 limit to 5,254 nominations.
With these additional allocations, the province can now start processing backlogged applications from international post-graduates and continue to attract healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, and skilled professionals.
At the same time, BC continues to push for more nominations in the future, especially since the federal government has tightened immigration limits nationwide.
Get in touch with SPS Global
Receive professional advice on any of your questions regarding Canadian immigration. get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Global. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).
