A method and an apparatus for video decoding are disclosed. The apparatus decodes prediction information of a current block from a coded video bitstream. The prediction information indicates an intra block copy mode. The current block is one of a plurality of coding blocks in a current region of a current coding tree block (CTB) in a current picture. The apparatus determines whether the current block is to be reconstructed first in the current region. When the current block is to be reconstructed first in the current region, the apparatus determines a block vector for the current block where a reference block indicated by the block vector is in a search range in the current picture that excludes a collocated region in a previously reconstructed CTB. A position of the collocated region in the previously reconstructed CTB has a same relative position as the current region in the current CTB.