BC PNP Care Priority List 2027: All 36 Healthcare, Childcare, Education and Vet Occupations Explained
Every NOC code on the Care list, grouped so you can find yours quickly. For each one: what licence or registration you need, which route fits (Health Authority stream or targeted draw), and what the 2026 draws show.
On April 23, 2026 the BC Provincial Nominee Program reorganized its priorities around three objectives: Care, Build and Innovate. Care is the largest occupation list of the three. WelcomeBC says it covers "36 in-demand occupations in healthcare, education, childcare and veterinary care." If you work in one of these occupations in B.C., or have a job offer in one, you are no longer competing against every skilled worker in the pool. You compete only against others in your Care group. In 2026 that meant invitations at scores far below the general points cutoff. This guide lists every code and explains the requirements that can make or break an application.
2027 status
The list below is the one in force on October 14, 2026, taken from WelcomeBC's selection of workers page. The BC PNP has not announced its 2027 priorities. We expect the Care framework to carry into 2027 because it is built into the current program guide, but that is our analysis, not an announcement.
How the 36 occupations break down
- Health care: 31 NOC codes, including NOC 33102 health care assistants, who must be on the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry
- Childcare: 1 code, NOC 42202 early childhood educators, who need an ECE One Year or Five Year certificate
- Education: 2 codes, NOC 41220 and 41221, French-speaking teachers only
- Veterinary care: 2 codes, NOC 31103 and 32104
In the draws, these became four Care draw types: Care: Health, Care: Childcare, Care: Education and Care: Veterinary Care. Each is run separately with its own cutoff.
The health care list (31 NOC codes) by group
The codes and titles below match WelcomeBC's list. The "licensing to check" column names the B.C. body we confirmed for each group. Where we could not confirm a single provincial regulator, we say so. Do not assume you can skip licensing. Section 3.7 of the program guide requires you to be qualified for the job, including any mandatory licence, certification or registration.
Group 1: Physicians and health care management
| NOC | Occupation | Licensing to check |
|---|---|---|
| 30010 | Managers in health care | Depends on the role; often not a licensed title on its own |
| 31100 | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC) |
| 31101 | Specialists in surgery | CPSBC |
| 31102 | General practitioners and family physicians | CPSBC; internationally trained family physicians may go through Practice Ready Assessment BC (PRA-BC) |
Group 2: Nursing and direct care
| NOC | Occupation | Licensing to check |
|---|---|---|
| 31300 | Nursing coordinators and supervisors | BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | BCCNM |
| 31302 | Nurse practitioners | BCCNM |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses | BCCNM |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | Must be on the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry |
Group 3: Professional allied health and therapy
| NOC | Occupation | Licensing to check |
|---|---|---|
| 31110 | Dentists | BC College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP) |
| 31112 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists | College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) |
| 31120 | Pharmacists | College of Pharmacists of BC |
| 31121 | Dietitians and nutritionists | CHCPBC (dietitians) |
| 31200 | Psychologists | CHCPBC |
| 31201 | Chiropractors | College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC |
| 31202 | Physiotherapists | CHCPBC |
| 31203 | Occupational therapists | CHCPBC |
| 31204 | Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy | Varies by occupation; confirm with your employer |
| 31209 | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | Varies by occupation |
| 31303 | Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | Midwives: BCCNM; others vary |
| 41300 | Social workers | BC College of Social Workers |
Group 4: Technologists, technicians and assistants
| NOC | Occupation | Licensing to check |
|---|---|---|
| 32102 | Paramedical occupations | Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board (EMALB) |
| 32103 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | Confirm with employer |
| 32111 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists | BCCOHP |
| 32112 | Dental technologists and technicians | BCCOHP |
| 32120 | Medical laboratory technologists | Confirm with employer |
| 32121 | Medical radiation technologists | Confirm with employer |
| 32122 | Medical sonographers | Confirm with employer |
| 32123 | Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | Confirm with employer |
| 32200 | Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC |
| 33101 | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | Confirm with employer |
Note on regulators: B.C. merged several health colleges on June 28, 2024. Dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists and speech and hearing professionals moved into the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC. Chiropractors and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners moved into the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC. Older documents, including some BC PNP materials, may still use the former college names.
Childcare, education and veterinary care
| NOC | Occupation | Condition for a targeted invitation |
|---|---|---|
| 42202 | Early childhood educators | ECE One Year or ECE Five Year certificate from the ECE Registry (an ECE Assistant certificate does not qualify) |
| 41220 | Secondary school teachers (French-speaking only) | Employed in B.C.'s public K-12 system and CLB 5 or higher in French |
| 41221 | Elementary/Kindergarten teachers (French-speaking only) | Same as 41220 |
| 31103 | Veterinarians | Registration with the College of Veterinarians of BC (CVBC) applies to practice |
| 32104 | Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | The draws targeted those "with valid professional designation" (the program guide refers to registration with the BC Veterinary Technologists Association) |
For ECEs, the certificate type is the whole game. According to the B.C. government's ECE pages, the Five Year certificate needs a recognized basic ECE program (or equivalent) plus 500 hours of supervised work experience. The One Year certificate lets you work as a fully certified ECE while you complete those 500 hours. It must be renewed within a year if the hours are not done, and it can be renewed only once. The Assistant certificate needs only one recent course and does not qualify for the Care draw or for BC PNP professional-designation points. Our ECE 2027 guide goes into detail. French-speaking teachers should read our French teachers guide, and veterinary professionals our vets and vet technologists guide.
Two routes in: Health Authority stream vs Care draws
Health workers have two different BC PNP routes, and many people mix them up. They have different occupation lists, different employers and a different process.
| Feature | Health Authority stream | Care: Health targeted draw |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | A B.C. public health authority (Fraser, Interior, Island, Northern, Vancouver Coastal, Provincial Health Services, First Nations Health Authority, Providence Health Care) | Any eligible B.C. employer, such as a private clinic, pharmacy, care home or dental office |
| Registration and invitation | Not needed; you apply directly | Register in the Skills Immigration pool and wait for an invitation |
| Occupations | A longer list of 46 codes, including some not on the Care list, such as 32124 pharmacy technicians, 32201 massage therapists, 33100 licensed dental assistants and 42201 social and community service workers | The 31 Care health codes |
| Employer support | The health authority must agree to support you, and only certain staff can sign the Employer Declaration Form | Your employer must meet the Part 6 employer requirements |
| Physicians, NPs, midwives | May use it without being direct health-authority employees. Physicians and NPs must be licensed or eligible for licensure and supported by a health authority; midwives must be licensed and supported by a health authority or midwife practice group | Eligible if registered with an eligible employer |
If you work directly for a health authority in an eligible occupation, the Health Authority stream is usually the simpler route, because there is no score race. The catch is that health authorities are not obliged to support applications, and each one has its own internal process. Ask your HR department first. Our Health Authority stream guide covers the steps.
How a Care draw actually works
- You register (free) in the Skills Immigration pool with your job offer's NOC code, wage, location, education, experience and language scores. You can have only one active BC PNP registration or application at a time.
- The program filters the pool to registrants whose NOC is on the relevant Care list and who meet any condition (Registry, ECE certificate, French CLB 5 and a public K-12 job, or a veterinary designation).
- It ranks by score and invites from the top down to that round's limit. The lowest score invited becomes the published "minimum score".
- You have 30 calendar days to submit a complete application and pay the $1,750 application fee. The 30 days cannot be extended.
- Your application is checked against the targeting factor. Section 7.3 of the program guide says that if you did not, or no longer, meet the factors used to target you, the application will be refused. If your registration listed NOC 33102 and you are not actually on the Registry, you lose the application.
- Unused registrations expire after 12 months in the pool.
2026 Care draw results
| Draw | May 6 | Jun 2 | Jul 9 | Aug 6 | Sep 10 | Oct 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 108 | 100 | 96 | 84 | 76 | 76 |
| Childcare | 115 | 111 | 108 | 102 | 99 | 99 |
| Veterinary | 100 | 92 | 88 | 72 | 90 | 86 |
| Education | – | – | – | 68 | – | – |
Care: Health issued 699 invitations across these six rounds and Care: Childcare 719. For comparison, the points track of the Innovate draw on September 24, 2026 needed 131. The full history is in our 2026 draws recap.
Five points many Care workers forget to claim
Section 8.2 of the program guide awards 5 extra points for an eligible B.C. professional designation linked to your job offer. For Care occupations, the eligible designations include:
- Health care aides (NOC 33102) registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry
- Practical nurses (NOC 32101) licensed with BCCNM
- ECEs (NOC 42202) with a valid One Year or Five Year certificate (Assistant certificates are excluded)
- Dental hygienists (NOC 32111) and dental technicians (NOC 32112) registered with the BC College of Oral Health Professionals
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists (NOC 32200) licensed in B.C.
- Veterinary technicians (NOC 32104) registered with the BC Veterinary Technologists Association
In draws where cutoffs moved 4 to 8 points between rounds, those 5 points can decide the outcome. Run your numbers in the BC PNP calculator.
Getting licensed: the three most common routes
Internationally educated nurses (RN, RPN, LPN)
BCCNM tells internationally educated RNs to apply first to Inspire Global Assessments, which checks identity, English proficiency and education and runs a competency assessment. BCCNM recommends opening your BCCNM application at the same time. After any required coursework you write the NCLEX-RN. BCCNM says most fees can be reimbursed through the Internationally Educated Nurse Bursary Program. It also warns that applications must be completed by the applicant personally, and that agencies offering to file them for a fee are not endorsed. Details are in our nurses and HCAs guide.
Health care assistants trained abroad
The Care Aide Registry has a separate category for internationally educated applicants. You upload proof of training, English results if English is not your first language, and a credential evaluation (the Registry lists ICES and equivalents such as NNAS, WES and IQAS). The Registry may then refer you to an HCA Competency Assessment run by Inspire. If your performance report shows no undemonstrated competencies, you are registered directly. Otherwise you may need remedial education first. The Registry says HCAs must be registered to work in a public health care setting in B.C.
Internationally trained physicians
CPSBC offers several licence classes for physicians with a medical degree from outside Canada, including provisional, assessment and associate physician classes. Family physicians often enter through PRA-BC, a clinical field assessment followed by a return-of-service commitment in a B.C. community. Physicians supported by a health authority can use the Health Authority stream even if they are not health-authority employees. Our foreign medical doctors guide covers the federal Express Entry side.
Worked examples
Example 1: LPN at a private care home in Kamloops
NOC 32101 is on the Care health list, and BCCNM licensure is in place. Kamloops is outside Metro Vancouver and the five Area 2 municipalities, so the job earns 15 area points. The LPN licence adds 5 professional-designation points. This person registers in the Skills Immigration pool and competes in Care: Health draws, where 2026 cutoffs ranged from 108 to 76.
Example 2: Unregistered care aide in Surrey
The job is classified under NOC 33102, but the worker is not yet on the Registry. They cannot receive a targeted Care invitation for 33102, and section 3.7 of the guide makes Registry listing a qualification requirement for this NOC anyway. Step one is Registry registration, not a BC PNP registration.
Example 3: Pharmacy technician at a hospital run by Island Health
NOC 32124 is not on the 31-code Care list, so there are no Care: Health draws for this occupation. It is on the Health Authority stream list. With Island Health's support, this person can apply directly without registering or waiting for a draw.
Who this list is for, and who it is not for
- Good fit: licensed or registered workers in the 36 occupations with a full-time, indeterminate B.C. job offer (some teaching roles may use limited-term offers under Appendix A of the guide), especially outside Metro Vancouver.
- Needs work first: people in a Care occupation who still lack the required registration, certificate or licence.
- Not covered: health-adjacent jobs outside the list, such as 33100 dental assistants or 32201 massage therapists with a private employer. Without a health-authority job offer, these workers had only the Innovate draws in 2026, where the points cutoff stayed above 130. Medical administrative assistants (13112) are now on the guide's list of ineligible occupations for every stream.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a NOC code to fit a draw rather than the actual duties. The NOC and work location you register with can be used as selection factors, and a mismatch at application can lead to refusal.
- Registering as an ECE with only an Assistant certificate.
- Assuming a non-health-authority employer can use the Health Authority stream.
- Letting a language test expire. Results are valid for two years and must be valid at registration to earn points.
- Paying agencies to submit licensing applications. BCCNM specifically warns against this, and BC PNP rules require any paid representative to be a licensed consultant or lawyer in good standing.
What might change for 2027 (analysis)
Three things are worth watching. First, BC's 2027 allocation: it has not been announced, and it decides how many Care rounds the program can run. Second, the list itself. The April 2026 update said the ineligible occupations and employers list would expand, and the May 28, 2026 program guide added a list of ineligible occupations, so changes to priority lists are a normal tool. Third, the federal side. Health care and social services was one of IRCC's 2026 Express Entry categories, and IRCC consulted from August 4 to September 1, 2026 on 2027 categories, including the option of narrowing labour-shortage categories. If the federal health category shrinks, the BC PNP becomes more important for health workers, not less. See our Express Entry 2027 guide and the BC PNP 2027 outlook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which occupations are on the BC PNP Care priority list?
The Care objective covers 36 occupations: 31 health care NOC codes (from 30010 managers in health care to 41300 social workers), 3 education codes (French-speaking teachers under 41220 and 41221, and early childhood educators under 42202) and 2 veterinary codes (31103 veterinarians and 32104 animal health technologists and veterinary technicians).
Do health care assistants qualify for BC PNP Care draws?
Yes, if they are registered. NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) is on the health list, but a targeted invitation requires registration with the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry.
What is the difference between the Health Authority stream and Care: Health draws?
The Health Authority stream is for people with a qualifying job offer from a B.C. public health authority, plus some physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives with health authority support. They apply directly without registering or waiting for an invitation. Care: Health draws are for workers in the 31 priority health occupations with any eligible B.C. employer. They must register in the Skills Immigration pool and be invited.
What score did the BC PNP Care: Health draws need in 2026?
Published minimums for Care: Health fell from 108 on May 6, 2026 to 76 on September 10 and October 8, 2026. Childcare draws ranged from 115 down to 99. These are past results, not predictions for 2027.
Will the Care occupation list change in 2027?
As of October 14, 2026 the BC PNP has not announced any 2027 changes to the Care list. The program guide allows selection factors to change at any time, so check the selection of workers page on WelcomeBC before you register.
Do I need to be licensed before I register for a Care draw?
For occupations with a targeting condition (registered HCAs, ECEs with a One Year or Five Year certificate, French-speaking teachers in the public K-12 system, and veterinary technicians with a valid designation), you must meet that condition when invited. For regulated occupations generally, the program guide requires proof of licensing at application or evidence that the requirement will shortly be met.
Sources
- WelcomeBC: BC PNP objectives, selection of workers and Health Authority occupations
- WelcomeBC: BC PNP news (April 23, 2026 priorities update)
- WelcomeBC: Invitations to apply
- BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide (PDF)
- WelcomeBC: Skills Immigration (fees and processing times)
- BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry: Internationally educated applicants
- BCCNM: Internationally educated registered nurses
- Government of B.C.: ECE certificate types
- BC Gov News: Health regulatory colleges amalgamated (June 2024)
- CPSBC: International medical graduates
- Government of B.C.: EMA Licensing Board, out-of-province applicants
- Government of B.C.: Dentistry regulation (BC College of Oral Health Professionals)
- IRCC: 2026 consultations on Express Entry category-based selection
Information current as of October 14, 2026. Program rules change often; confirm on WelcomeBC or IRCC before applying.