BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on Changes to the BC Provincial Nominee Program

In response to changes announced today by the Government of British Columbia to the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:

“Despite knowing that the allocation for this year’s BC PNP nominees would need to be significantly lower than in previous years, the decision by the Federal Government to cut in half the 2025 allocation to only 4,000 nominees is extremely disappointing and will be felt by businesses in every corner of the province.

“The BC PNP has been an effective tool to help employers and entrepreneurs meet their labour needs and encourage talented people to stay in Canada and contribute to our long-term economic success. The BC Chamber of Commerce was supportive of the provincial government’s request for an increase in the number of nominees this year. Today’s news is discouraging for the businesses our organization represents, many of which are already facing economic challenges. We need more, not fewer, economic immigrants.

“The BC PNP was intended for economic immigration and allows the Province to select immigrants who have specific skills, experience and qualifications needed by BC employers to become permanent residents of Canada. The BC PNP also allows for experienced entrepreneurs, who intend to create and actively manage businesses in the province, to stay.

“In that context, we disagree with the Provincial Government’s decision to prioritize public sector job vacancies over the needs of the private sector for this year’s nominees. The decision to focus the BC PNP on applicants in the health care sector unfairly advantages the Government’s needs over the business community. We therefore call on the Provincial Government to rebalance the nominee allocations for 2025 and prioritize economic immigrants as the program was intended.”

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About the BC Chamber of Commerce

The BC Chamber of Commerce is the largest and most broadly based business organization in the province. Representing 100 local chambers of commerce and boards of trade and 36,000 businesses of every size and from every sector and region of the province, the BC Chamber of Commerce is uniquely positioned to “Know What’s on BC’s Mind.”

Media Contact

Alex McMillan
BC Chamber of Commerce Communications
604-367-8697
[email protected]