The British Columbia government says the odds of new applications from immigrants looking to be accepted into its nominee program this year have dropped to near zero for anyone other than health workers or entrepreneurs after the federal government slashed the number of available slots.

A bulletin from the province says it was only allotted 4,000 nominations this year, about half of what it had last year and substantially less than the 11,000 it wanted.

It says the program, which help immigrants already living in Canada gain permanent residency if they fill key jobs, will accept 1,100 new applications this year, mainly for doctors, nurses and other health professionals as well as entrepreneurs.

It says most of the remaining 2,900 slots will be used to nominate some of the applications it has already received.

The bulletin says the program anticipates nominating about 100 other people that it thinks are “likely to create high economic impact in B.C.” from the registration pool, which currently has more than 10,000 candidates.

B.C.’s Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Anne Kang says she’s worried the reduction in the available slots for the nominee program could lead to the province not being able to fill critical roles.

“My fear is that we will not be filling the positions of the doctors and nurses and those who are in clinical work, those in ERs, or health-care workers that are directly working with our patients,” she says.

Last year, then-federal immigration minister Marc Miller announced plans to reduce immigration to alleviate pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press