The B.C. government announced an update to its provincial nominee program (PNP) in response to drastic cuts in the number of spots allocated by the federal government.
The updated PNP guidelines for 2025 prioritize “positions that contribute directly to the delivery of health care services,” limiting any new health care spots to a small number of HEU-represented jobs, including care aides, porters and pharmacy assistants – leaving many full-time HEU members in other critical roles shut out.
“B.C. is doing what it can with limited options, but it’s the federal government that created this crisis,” says HEU secretary-business manager Lynn Bueckert. “The next federal government needs to restore the provincial nominee program spots so that all health care workers – across the full health care team – have a fair shot at permanent residency.”
What’s this mean for health care workers seeking permanent residency via PNP?
- Employer support for an application continues to be a requirement for all BC PNP streams, including the health authority stream.
- Applications submitted under the health authority stream in 2024 will continue to be processed in 2025.
- In 2025, 1,100 new health care nominees will be selected under a narrow set of job classifications. Vital hospital team roles, including housekeepers, dietary workers, security officers and clerks, are not included.
HEU’s message to Ottawa: Restore the path to permanent residency
HEU is calling on the federal government to:
- Restore the number of PNP spots for provinces and territories;
- Create a dedicated, fair pathway to permanent residency for health care workers already working in the system.
Take action now:
Over 3,000 people have already called on Ottawa to act.
Add your voice: www.heu.org/restore-pnp-spots