On June 15, B.C.’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) started accepting registrations for the Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative. Under this new initiative, 250 health care support workers who work as security guards and cleaners in rural or remote areas will be nominated for the PNP.
After registering in the Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative (in the PNP's Skilled Worker Stream), candidates are invited to apply if they are deemed most likely to meet B.C.’s economic and labour market needs. The first invitations to apply are expected to be issued in the coming weeks.
The provincial government held a webinar for interested candidates on June 10 outlining the program’s goals, requirements, and application process.
Some of the key criteria for this one-time program include: applicants must be currently working in a regular, full-time job as a security guard or cleaner in one of the province’s health authorities; applicants’ work locations must be in a rural or remote area in the same health authority as the job offer letter; and prior to registering with the PNP, applicants must have been working full-time, year-round for at least nine months.
Applicants are encouraged to review a more detailed outline of the criteria and application instructions at: https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/about-the-bc-provincial-nominee-program
Webinar hosts also provided an opportunity for participants to ask questions.
The following key questions were asked:
Q: Does the nine‑month experience have to be in a permanent full-time role?
A: No. Full-time experience from casual, relief, or temporary roles is accepted, if it totals at least nine months and had an average of full-time work over that period (30-plus hours per week). The nine-month experience requirement must also be in the same rural or remote community as the employer offering the permanent job. Employment that is part of a program of study (such as co-op) or obtained on a study permit does not qualify towards the nine-month requirement.Q: Will this initiative be expanded in the future to include more occupations (e.g., food service), spots or regions?
A: No, this is a one-time initiative and there are no plans to expand eligible occupations nor regions. There are also no plans to expand the 250 positions quota.Q: When should employer documents be prepared?
A: Employer documents should be prepared as soon as possible. Applicants must be ready to submit all documents within 30 days of receiving an invitation to apply.Q: Is the program first-come, first-served?
A: No. Invitations are based on a points system and may target specific factors. The eligibility criteria for the temporary initiative can be found in the Skills Immigration Program Guide.
Applicants are asked to direct any questions about the program and their specific circumstances by email to pnpinfo@gov.bc.ca, to avoid misinformation. Full program guide and instructions can be found at: https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/about-the-bc-provincial-nominee-program/documents
The deadline to register for the Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support initiative is August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
The skills stream in the BC’s PNP program has also resumed invitations to apply for certain health care occupations, including care aides, in the privately delivered health care sector. Information for this stream can be found at https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/about-the-bc-provincial-nominee-program