Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category
The British Columbia Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker (ELSS) stream is one of several immigration programs contained within the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of British Columbia. BC ELSS prioritizes the nomination of immigrants who have semi-skilled work experience in the province along with an offer of employment from a BC employer.
Candidates who are successfully nominated through the BC Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker stream will be invited to submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence. Please note that this program offers special relaxed eligibility requirements for those with semi-skilled work experience in the Northeast Development Region of the province of British Columbia.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Express Entry Profile | No |
| Connection to Province | Work Experience |
| Job Offer | Yes |
| Language Proficiency | CLB 4 |
| Level of Education | No minimum |
| Work Experience | Employed in British Columbia 9 months |
| Investment Requirement | None |
Connection to British Columbia
To be eligible for the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker stream, candidates must have been working in British Columbia on a valid work permit for the last nine (9) months. They must have been working full-time, and in an occupation on the ELSS In-Demand Occupation List or an occupation in the Northeast Development Region of British Columbia.
Job Offer
Candidates must have a valid job offer for full-time, indeterminate employment from a BC employer. The wages for the position must be competitive when compared to average provincial wages for the occupation. The offer must be for work at National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level C or D. Notably, the BC PNP job offer does not need to be supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Language Proficiency
Candidates must provide language test results proving English or French language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.
Work Experience
In order to be considered eligible for the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category, candidates must have at least nine (9) months of work experience in British Columbia. Work experience must have been obtained in one of the ELSS In-Demand Occupations. Any work experience at NOC Skill Level C or D (with the exception of live-in caregivers) completed in British Columbia’s Northeast Development Region will fulfill the work experience requirement regardless of whether or not it is included in the In-Demand Occupations list. The candidate must also have any qualifications required to perform the job in BC.
Employer Requirements
In order for an applicant to apply to most BC Skills Immigration programs, they must have a valid job offer from a BC employer. Under these programs, the employers must meet certain general requirements in order for their job offers to be considered valid.
Job Offer Requirements
The employer must offer a full-time, indeterminate position with a wage that meets industry standards. As well, the position must meet BC’s minimum wage requirements as per the applicant’s annual wage, location of residence in BC, and number of dependent family members.
Business Requirements
The business must be established and in good standing in British Columbia with a history of good workplace and business practices. The business must also meet minimum employee requirements:
- Inside Vancouver: At least five full-time employees.
- Outside Vancouver: At least three full-time employees.
Recruitment Requirements
The employer must demonstrate that reasonable efforts were made to recruit a Canadian to fill the position prior to offering the position to a foreign national. Notably, under the BC PNP, employers are not required to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order for their positions to be valid.
Application Procedure
The British Columbia Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker stream operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Candidates who meet the minimum stream requirements can register a profile using the BC’s online immigration portal. Once the profile has been submitted, candidates will be assigned a score and ranked against one another using the BC Skills Immigration Ranking System. The highest ranking candidates will be invited to apply to the stream in one of the stream’s periodic intakes.
Candidates must submit a complete application to the stream within 30 days from when they receive the invitation to apply. The BC ELSS stream charges a $700 CAD application fee per applicant. If the application is approved, the candidate will be issued a provincial nomination for permanent residence from BC. If the candidate is not already working for their BC employer, they can also request to receive a letter of support for a temporary work permit, so that they can begin working in Canada while their application for permanent residence is processed. Applying for a work permit with a letter of support from a province represents a separate application to IRCC.
After receiving the provincial nomination, the applicant has six months to submit an official application for permanent residence. They must prepare a paper-based application and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.
BC ELSS In-Demand Occupation List
Unless they worked in an occupation in the Northeast Development Region of British Columbia, candidates must have at least nine months of work experience in BC in one of these occupations.
| NOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Occupations in Travel and Accommodation | |
| 6525 | Hotel Front Desk Clerks |
| Tour and Recreational Guides and Casino Occupations | |
| 6531 | Tour and Travel Guides |
| 6532 | Outdoor Sport and Recreational Guides |
| 6533 | Casino Occupations |
| Occupations in Food and Beverage Service | |
| 6511 | Maitres d'hotel and Hosts/Hostesses |
| 6512 | Bartenders |
| 6513 | Food and Beverage Servers |
| 6711 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers, etc. |
| Cleaners (employed directly by hotels/resorts) | |
| 6731 | Light Duty Cleaners |
| 6732 | Specialized Cleaners |
| 6733 | Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents |
| 6721 | Support Occupations in Accommodation, Travel and Facilities Set-Up Services |
| Other Service Occupations (employed directly by hotels/resorts) | |
| 6741 | Dry Cleaning, Laundry and Related Occupations |
| 6742 | Other Service Support Occupations |
| Food Processing | |
| 9461 | Process Control and Machine Operators, Food and Beverage Processing |
| 9462 | Industrial Butchers and Meat Cutters, Poultry Preparers and Related Workers |
| 9463 | Fish and Seafood Plant Workers |
| 9465 | Testers and Graders, Food, Beverage and Associated Products Processing |
| 9617 | Labour in Food, Beverage and Associated Products Processing |
| 9618 | Labourers in Fish and Seafood Processing |
| Long-Haul Truck Drivers | |
| 7511 | Long-Haul Truck Driver |
British Columbia Skills Immigration Ranking System
| Factor | Maximum Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Factors (120) | Skill Level of the B.C. Job Offer | 60 |
| Wage of the B.C. Job Offer | 50 | |
| Regional District of Employment | 10 | |
| Human Capital Factors (80) | Directly Related Work Experience | 25 |
| Highest Level of Education | 25 | |
| Language | 30 | |
| Total Available Points | 200 | |
Skill Level of Job Offer
| Skill Level of the B.C. Job Offer | Points |
|---|---|
| NOC Skill Level A (including Skill Type 0) | 25 |
| NOC Skill Level B | 10 |
| NOC Skill Level C | 5 |
| NOC Skill Level D | 5 |
| Bonus points: | |
| Occupation is a “00” NOC | 15 |
| Occupation identified in the BC High Demand Occupations List in the BC Labour Market Outlook 2018 Edition | 10 |
| Currently working full-time in B.C. for the employer in the occupation identified in the BC PNP registration | 10 |
| Maximum Score Available | 60 |
Annual Wage of Job Offer
| Annual Wage of the B.C. Job Offer | Points |
|---|---|
| $100,000 and above | 50 |
| $97,500 to $99,999 | 38 |
| $95,000 to $97,499 | 37 |
| $92,500 to $94,999 | 36 |
| $90,000 to $92,499 | 35 |
| $87,500 to $89,999 | 34 |
| $85,000 to $87,499 | 33 |
| $82,500 to $84,999 | 32 |
| $80,000 to $82,499 | 31 |
| $77,500 to $79,999 | 30 |
| $75,000 to $77,499 | 29 |
| $72,500 to $74,999 | 28 |
| $70,000 to $72,499 | 27 |
| $67,500 to $69,999 | 26 |
| $65,000 to $67,499 | 25 |
| $62,500 to $64,999 | 24 |
| $60,000 to $62,499 | 23 |
| $57,500 to $59,999 | 22 |
| $55,000 to $57,499 | 21 |
| $52,500 to $54,999 | 20 |
| $50,000 to $52,499 | 19 |
| $47,500 to $49,999 | 18 |
| $45,000 to $47,499 | 17 |
| $42,500 to $44,999 | 16 |
| $40,000 to $42,499 | 15 |
| $38,750 to $39,999 | 14 |
| $37,500 to $38,749 | 13 |
| $36,250 to $37,499 | 12 |
| $35,000 to $36,249 | 11 |
| $33,750 to $34,999 | 10 |
| $32,500 to $33,749 | 9 |
| $31,250 to $32,499 | 8 |
| $30,000 to $31,249 | 7 |
| $28,750 to $29,999 | 6 |
| $27,500 to $28,749 | 5 |
| $26,250 to $27,499 | 4 |
| $25,000 to $26,249 | 3 |
| Less than $25,000 | 0 |
| Maximum Score Available | 50 |
Regional District of Employment
| Regional District of Employment | Points |
|---|---|
| Stikine, Central Coast, Northern Rockies, Mount Waddington, Skeena-Queen Charlotte, Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Kootenay-Boundary, Alberni-Clayoquot | 10 |
| Kitimat-Stikine, Bulkley-Nechako, Squamish-Lillooet, Strathcona, Columbia-Shuswap, East Kootenay | 8 |
| Peace River, Comox Valley, Cariboo, Central Kootenay | 6 |
| Okanagan-Similkameen, Cowichan Valley, North Okanagan, Fraser-Fort George | 4 |
| Thompson-Nicola, Nanaimo, Central Okanagan | 2 |
| Capital, Fraser Valley | 2 |
| Greater Vancouver | 0 |
| Maximum Score Available | 10 |
Related Work Experience
| Directly Related Work Experience in the Occupation of B.C. Job Offer | Points |
|---|---|
| 60+ months | 15 |
| 48 to 59 months | 12 |
| 36 to 47 months | 9 |
| 24 to 35 months | 6 |
| 12 months to 23 months | 3 |
| Less than 12 months | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Bonus points: | |
| At least 1 year of directly related experience in Canada | 10 |
| Maximum Score Available | 25 |
Education
| Education | Points |
|---|---|
| Master’s or Doctorate/PhD | 17 |
| Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma* | 11 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 11 |
| Post-secondary Diploma/Certificate (Trades)** | 11 |
| Associate Degree | 4 |
| Post-secondary Diploma/Certificate (Non-trades) | 2 |
| Secondary School (High School) or Less | 0 |
| Bonus points: | |
| Post-secondary education completed in B.C. | 8 |
| Post-secondary education completed in Canada (outside of B.C.) | 6 |
| Educational Credential Assessment from a qualified supplier | 4 |
| Successfully completed the Industry Training Authority British Columbia (ITABC’s) challenge certification process | 4 |
| Maximum Score Available | 25 |
Language
| Canadian Language Benchmark Level | Points |
|---|---|
| 10+ | 30 |
| 9 | 26 |
| 8 | 22 |
| 7 | 18 |
| 6 | 14 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 4 | 6 |
| Below 4 | 0 |
| No test | 0 |
| Maximum Score Available | 30 |
British Columbia Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker - Recent Draws & Invitation History
Below is the information regarding recent British Columbia Skills Immigration draws for the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Workers category:
BC Skills Immigration – Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Draws
| Date | Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| 7 January 2020 | 85 |
| 17 December 2019 | 79 |
| 27 November 2019 | 77 |
| 12 November 2019 | 75 |
| 29 October 2019 | 77 |
| 15 October 2019 | 80 |
| 1 October 2019 | 78 |
| 17 September 2019 | 77 |
| 3 September 2019 | 77 |
| 20 August 2019 | 77 |
| 6 August 2019 | 80 |
| 23 July 2019 | 80 |
| 9 July 2019 | 80 |
| 18 June 2019 | 75 |
| 21 May 2019 | 75 |
| 7 May 2019 | 75 |
| 23 April 2019 | 75 |
| 9 April 2019 | 75 |
| 2 April 2019 | 73 |
| 26 March 2019 | 73 |
| 5 March 2019 | 69 |
| 12 February 2019 | 67 |
| 30 January 2019 | 68 |
| 23 January 2019 | 68 |
| 16 January 2019 | 68 |
| 2 January 2019 | 68 |
| 19 December 2018 | 68 |
| 5 December 2018 | 68 |
| 14 November 2018 | 70 |
| 31 October 2018 | 70 |
| 17 October 2018 | 80 |
| 10 October 2018 | 65 |
| 19 September 2018 | 65 |
| 5 September 2018 | 65 |
| 22 August 2018 | 65 |
| 15 August 2018 | 65 |
| 8 August 2018 | 65 |
| 25 July 2018 | 65 |
| 11 July 2018 | 65 |
| 27 June 2018 | 70 |
| 13 June 2018 | 65 |
| 30 May 2018 | 70 |
| 23 May 2018 (tech pilot draw) | 60 |
| 16 May 2018 | 60 |
| 2 May 2018 | 60 |
| 18 April 2018 | 50 |
| 11 April 2018 (tech pilot draw) | 55 |
| 4 April 2018 | 55 |
| 21 March 2018 | 60 |
| 28 February 2018 | 40 |
| 14 February 2018 | 40 |
| 31 January 2018 | 40 |
| 17 January 2018 | 40 |
| 3 January 2018 | 40 |
| 20 December 2017 | 40 |
| 6 December 2017 | 40 |
| 22 November 2017 | 40 |
| 8 November 2017 | 40 |
| 25 October 2017 | 40 |
| 11 October 2017 | 40 |
| 27 September 2017 | 40 |
| 13 September 2017 | 40 |
| 31 August 2017 | 40 |
| 16 August 2017 | 40 |
| 2 August 2017 | 45 |
| 19 July 2017 | 45 |
| 27 June 2017 | 55 |
| 7 June 2017 | 50 |
| 24 May 2017 | 50 |
| 10 May 2017 | 60 |
| 19 April 2017 | 45 |
| 5 April 2017 | 45 |
| 22 March 2017 | 60 |
| 8 March 2017 | 65 |
| 23 February 2017 | 65 |
| 17 February 2017 | 65 |
| 3 February 2017 | 70 |
| 21 December 2016 | 65 |
| 8 December 2016 | 60 |
| 17 November 2016 | 50 |
| 10 November 2016 | 50 |
| 3 November 2016 | 50 |
| 28 October 2016 | 45 |
| 12 October 2016 | 50 |
| 27 September 2016 | 60 |
| 15 September 2016 | 80 |
| 4 August 2016 | 70 |
| 29 June 2016 | 95 |
| 2 June 2016 | 88 |
| 8 April 2016 | 95 |
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