On This Page You Will Find
- Who can apply under the new BC PNP health support initiative
- Other significant changes affecting BC PNP applicants and employers.
- Which occupations are eligible
- Which health authority employers can support applications
- Rural and remote work location rules
- The nine-month work experience requirement
- Education, income and job offer requirements
- Frequently asked questions
British Columbia has released full details of a new temporary immigration stream for certain health authority employees working in rural and remote parts of the province.
The Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative appears in the updated British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program Skilled Immigration Program Guide, released on May 28.
The new initiative targets workers in eligible cleaning and security occupations who are already employed by one of B.C.’s public health authorities. Registration will open on June 15, 2026, and close on August 31, 2026.
The province has made clear that this is a temporary, one-time initiative. It also does not include an Express Entry BC option.
New Stream Targets Rural And Remote Health Support Workers
The Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative is designed for workers who support B.C.’s public health system in important but often overlooked roles.
To qualify, applicants must currently work for a B.C. health authority in an eligible occupation. They must also work in a rural or remote part of the province and have employer support before applying.
The initiative applies only to direct employees of eligible health authorities. Workers employed by contractors that provide services to health authorities are not eligible.
This detail is important. Many cleaning and security workers in hospitals and health facilities work through private contractors. Those workers do not qualify under this initiative unless they are direct employees of a listed health authority.
BC PNP Guide Also Introduces Major Structural Changes
The new Skills Immigration Program Guide contains several other significant changes that go beyond the new Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative.
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream Eliminated
British Columbia has formally eliminated the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled (ELSS) stream.
As of May 28, 2026, the Skills Immigration category now consists of:
- Skilled Worker
- Health Authority
- Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative
The move continues the province’s shift away from lower-skilled occupations and toward targeted labour market priorities.
New Occupations Barred From the BC PNP
The province has introduced a new list of occupations that will be ineligible across all Skills Immigration streams.
Applications submitted after June 13, 2026, will not be accepted for workers in 12 occupations, including:
- Administrative officers and assistants (NOC 12100 to 13112)
- Retail sales supervisors (NOC 62010)
- Food service supervisors (NOC 62020)
- Real estate agents and salespersons (NOC 63101)
- Religious leaders and workers (NOC 41302 and 42204)
The change reflects the province’s continued effort to direct nominations toward occupations facing more acute labour shortages.
Income Requirements Rise
The BC PNP has updated its minimum income thresholds to align with 2024 Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) figures.
For a family of four, the minimum income requirement has increased to:
| Location | New Requirement | Previous Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Vancouver | $58,096 | $54,594 |
| Outside Metro Vancouver | $48,418 | $45,499 |
Applicants must continue to demonstrate that they can support themselves and their dependants in British Columbia.
New Rules on Eligible Work Experience
The guide introduces a new work experience section that clarifies what experience can and cannot be counted.
Notably, unpaid doctoral research and coursework can now count toward work experience requirements if the applicant earned a doctoral degree from a public Canadian university.
However, work experience gained while holding a study permit will generally not be accepted, except for qualifying paid co-op placements.
More Flexibility for Limited-Term Job Offers
The province has expanded exceptions to the requirement for permanent, indeterminate job offers.
In addition to university professors and lecturers, the new rules now include:
- Elementary school teachers (NOC 41221)
- Secondary school teachers (NOC 41220)
Public K-12 schools can support applications where the job offer is for at least one year and has at least 120 days remaining at the time of application.
The updated guide also incorporates the province’s full list of eligible technology occupations.
Stricter Compliance Requirements
The guide introduces several new compliance measures.
Employers must report significant employment changes to the BC PNP within 30 days, while applicants must report changes within 15 calendar days of submitting an application.
The province has also added a new ineligibility ground for applicants who are inadmissible to Canada.
Other notable changes include:
- IELTS One Skill Retake results are not accepted.
- Employers that provide immigration advice or services are generally prohibited from supporting BC PNP applications, subject to limited exceptions.
- Applicants may now hold only one active BC PNP registration or application at a time, including Entrepreneur Immigration applications.
- TEER 0 job offers can receive points for related TEER 1 work experience.
- The province has expanded its anti-inflation provisions, allowing applications to be refused if wages appear to have been artificially increased to improve registration scores or meet invitation criteria.
- Early Childhood Educator Assistant certificates are no longer eligible for Professional Designation points.
- For elementary and secondary school teachers, hourly wages will be calculated using annual salary divided by 52 weeks and then by 30 hours per week.
Together, the changes represent one of the most significant overhauls of the Skills Immigration stream in recent years, tightening eligibility in some areas while creating targeted pathways for workers in occupations that British Columbia considers critical to provincial needs.
Registration For New Stream Opens June 15
Registration for the initiative will open on June 15, 2026, and close on August 31, 2026.
The guide describes the initiative as temporary and one-time. This means eligible workers have a limited window to register.
Applicants must meet the BC PNP general requirements as well as the specific requirements for this initiative.
They must also maintain full-time employment throughout the BC PNP process.
Eligible Health Authorities
Applicants must have the support of one of B.C.’s public health authorities.
The eligible health authorities are:
- Provincial Health Services Authority
- First Nations Health Authority
- Fraser Health
- Interior Health
- Island Health
- Northern Health
- Vancouver Coastal Health
- Providence Health Care
The health authority must agree to support the worker’s BC PNP application. Each authority has its own internal process for deciding which applications it will support.
The guide also notes that health authorities do not have to support applications. Workers must contact their health authority’s human resources department to confirm the correct process.
Only certain delegated individuals can sign the Employer Declaration Form. A signature from anyone else will not meet the BC PNP requirement.
Eligible Occupations
The new initiative is limited to three occupations.
Applicants must have a regular, indeterminate, full-time job offer in one of the following National Occupational Classification occupations:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 64410 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
| 65310 | Light duty cleaners |
| 65312 | Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners |
The job offer must come from one of the listed B.C. health authorities and must be provided on official letterhead.
The position must be full-time, regular and indeterminate. Under BC PNP rules, full-time work means an average of at least 30 hours per week, year-round. Indeterminate means the job must not be temporary and must not have a defined end date.
Rural And Remote Location Requirement
Applicants must work in a rural or remote part of British Columbia.
The guide excludes workers whose job location is in the following regional districts:
- Capital Regional District
- Central Okanagan Regional District
- Metro Vancouver Regional District
However, there is an exception for some islands within the Capital Regional District. Work locations on Galiano Island, Mayne Island, Pender Island, Salt Spring Island and Saturna Island are considered rural or remote for this initiative.
This means a worker’s job location matters as much as the employer and occupation. A cleaner or security guard working for a health authority in Metro Vancouver, for example, would not qualify under this initiative.
Nine Months Of Full-Time Work Required
Applicants must have worked full-time, year-round, for at least nine consecutive months immediately before registering with the BC PNP.
This work must have been in an eligible occupation and with the same health authority employer.
The BC PNP may allow a worker to move from one eligible occupation to another eligible occupation with the same employer during the nine-month qualifying period.
Annual vacation leave will generally count toward the nine-month requirement. For example, a worker who takes a two-week vacation during the nine-month period may still meet the requirement.
However, leave longer than two weeks does not count toward the nine months of required work. Medical leave, parental leave, maternity leave and extended vacation may be accepted as a break in employment if supported by documents, but they do not add to the nine months of qualifying work.
Work completed as part of a study program, such as co-op work, does not count. Work performed while in Canada on a study permit also does not count toward the nine-month requirement.
Full-Time Employment Must Continue During The Process
Applicants must continue working full-time in the same occupation with the same B.C. health authority employer throughout the BC PNP application process.
The job offer must be valid when the worker registers and when the worker applies.
This requirement creates an important obligation for applicants. They must not only qualify at the start of the process, but also continue to meet the employment conditions while the BC PNP reviews the application.
Minimum Income Requirement
Applicants must show that they met the minimum income requirement for the full nine-month period before submitting their registration and application.
The BC PNP uses income requirements to assess whether applicants can support themselves and their dependants in British Columbia.
This requirement may be especially important for workers with families, as household size can affect the income threshold.
Education Requirement
Applicants must have completed secondary education.
At minimum, they must have graduated from high school, either in Canada or outside Canada.
Applicants must submit a copy of their highest-level diploma, certificate, degree or transcripts in English.
Employer Documents Required
The employer must provide supporting documents about the organization and the job offer.
Required documents include:
- Signed job offer letter
- Signed Employer Declaration Form
- Recommendation letter
- Detailed job description
- Company or organization information
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Municipal business licence
Some of these requirements may be more straightforward for public health authorities than for private employers. However, applicants must still make sure the correct documents are included.
No Express Entry BC Option
The guide states that the Express Entry BC option is not available for this initiative.
This means applicants cannot use this stream to obtain an enhanced nomination linked to the federal Express Entry system.
Instead, successful applicants would proceed through the base BC PNP process. This can still support permanent residence, but it does not offer the same federal processing pathway as an Express Entry-aligned nomination.
Why This Stream Matters
The new initiative recognizes the importance of support workers in B.C.’s public health system.
Cleaning staff, janitors, caretakers and security guards help keep hospitals, clinics and health facilities safe, clean and operational. In rural and remote areas, these roles can be difficult to fill and retain.
By creating a temporary pathway for eligible workers, British Columbia is using the BC PNP to support workforce stability in communities outside the province’s largest urban centres.
The limited application window also suggests the province wants to address a specific labour market need rather than create a permanent broad-based stream.
A Narrow But Important Opportunity
The Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative will not apply to all health support workers in British Columbia.
It is limited by employer, occupation, location, work history and timing. It excludes contractors, urban work locations and Express Entry BC applicants.
However, for eligible workers already employed by B.C. health authorities in rural or remote areas, it could provide an important route toward permanent residence.
Applicants should act early, confirm their employer’s support process and ensure they meet all requirements before the August 31, 2026, deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative?
The Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative is a new temporary BC PNP stream for certain health authority employees in British Columbia. It targets workers in eligible cleaning and security occupations who work in rural or remote parts of the province. Registration opens on June 15, 2026, and closes on August 31, 2026.
Which occupations are eligible under the new BC PNP initiative?
Only three occupations are eligible. They are security guards and related security service occupations, light duty cleaners, and janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners. Applicants must have a regular, indeterminate, full-time job offer in one of these occupations from an eligible B.C. health authority.
Can contractor employees apply under this stream?
No. Applicants must be direct employees of one of the listed B.C. public health authorities. Employees of contractors that provide cleaning, security or other services to health authorities are not eligible under this initiative, even if they work inside a hospital or health facility.
Does the stream include an Express Entry BC option?
No. The BC PNP guide states that Express Entry BC is not available for this initiative. This means applicants cannot use the stream to obtain an Express Entry-aligned nomination. Successful applicants would use the base BC PNP pathway instead.
How much work experience is required?
Applicants must have worked full-time, year-round, for at least nine consecutive months immediately before registering. The work must be in an eligible occupation and with the same B.C. health authority employer. Long leaves do not count toward the nine months, although some documented breaks may be accepted.
What other major changes were introduced in the new BC PNP guide?
The updated guide increases minimum income requirements, introduces new work experience rules, expands eligibility for some limited-term job offers, tightens reporting obligations for employers and applicants, and strengthens anti-abuse measures. The province has also added new grounds of ineligibility and clarified several scoring and eligibility provisions.