BC invited 772 workers on October 29, 2026 — its biggest Innovate round of the year — with the wage threshold at $49/hour and the score cutoff at 131.
British Columbia issued 772 invitations to apply on October 29, 2026, its largest Innovate round of the year. The headline detail: the wage threshold dropped to $49/hour and $99,000/year, the first time in 2026 it has fallen below $50/hour and $100,000/year.
The draw ran under BC's Innovate objective, which targets skilled workers across a range of occupations and sectors. As in earlier rounds, BC ran two selection factors at once, according to CIC News reporting on BC's invitations page:
| Selection factor | Requirement | Invitations |
|---|
| Wage / job offer | TEER 0–3 job offer paying at least $49/hour and $99,000/year | 524 |
| Registration score | Minimum 131 points | 248 |
| Total | | 772 |
BC did not disclose which occupations or sectors were represented. It was the province's 29th draw of 2026 and the ninth Innovate round.
| Draw date | Wage threshold | Wage invitations | Score cutoff | Score invitations | Total |
|---|
| Oct 29 | $49/hr, $99k/yr | 524 | 131 | 248 | 772 |
| Sep 24 | $52/hr, $105k/yr | 426 | 131 | 288 | 714 |
| Aug 20 | $55/hr, $110k/yr | 337 | 132 | 265 | 602 |
| Jul 16 | $58/hr, $115k/yr | 223 | 132 | 346 | 569 |
| Jun 18 | $62/hr, $125k/yr | 130 | 136 | 149 | 279 |
| May 14 | $59/hr, $120k/yr | 225 | 135 | 212 | 437 |
The pattern since June is consistent: each round, BC has lowered the wage bar, and the wage-based invitations have grown every time (130, 223, 337, 426, 524). The score cutoff has barely moved since July (132, 132, 131, 131). In other words, the extra volume is coming almost entirely from the wage route.
By our count from the published table, BC has issued 4,746 invitations through Innovate wage and score draws in 2026. The province says it has issued at least 7,220 invitations across all worker and entrepreneur streams this year.
If you have a TEER 0–3 job offer paying $99,000 a year or more: this is the most accessible the wage route has been in 2026. If you were just under $105,000 in September, this draw may have been your window. Make sure your BC PNP registration shows your current wage accurately.
If you rely on your score: 131 is unchanged from September. Because score-based invitations fell from 288 to 248 while the cutoff held, you are not competing against a rising bar, but there is no sign of it easing either.
If you were invited: you have 30 days to apply for provincial nomination. If you are in Canada and later apply for PR, you may be eligible for a bridging open work permit of up to two years; applying before your current permit expires lets you keep working on maintained status.
Watch the trend, not one draw: BC says future invitations may weigh factors such as education, work experience, language proficiency, occupation, wage, region, and strategic priorities. The wage bar has dropped five rounds in a row, but nothing guarantees it keeps falling. For the full picture of how BC invites, see our BC PNP guide, and for how provincial nomination fits into the bigger picture, see the PNP guide.
Tip
Wage-route invitations have more than quadrupled since June while the score cutoff stayed flat. If your job offer pays near the threshold, an accurate, up-to-date registration matters more than chasing a few extra points.
Not sure where you stand for federal Express Entry? Use the CRS Calculator and check the Draw Tracker.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.