VICTORIA — A tax on foreign home buyers in Metro Vancouver is being changed to exempt people who have come to British Columbia as part of the provincial nominee program.
Premier Christy Clark says the exemption is aimed at helping attract skilled workers to the province, particularly in the tech sector.
The government brought in the 15 per cent tax last August in the Vancouver area after months of scorching house sales.
The exemption is available to people who purchase a principal residence in Metro Vancouver.
People who came to B.C. under the provincial nominee program and who purchased a principal residence on or after Aug. 2, 2016, will also be able to apply for a retroactive exemption.
The province is also making rebates available to foreign nationals who became permanent residents or Canadian citizens within one year of purchasing a principal residence.
To be eligible, those people must continuously live in the property as their principal residence for a full year.
The provincial government says 6,000 people arrived in B.C. under the provincial nominee program in 2016, and the same number has been allocated to the province for this year.
