British Columbia Skills Immigration: Entry Level and Semi-Skilled

Alternatively, certain workers in the Northeast Development Region of the province may be eligible, even if they do not work in one of the listed occupations.

To qualify, applicants must first accept a valid job offer from an employer in BC. Further, this category is not aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system or with the BC Express Entry stream. Individuals who are not eligible for Express Entry may instead be eligible for the BC PNP Skills Immigration Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category.

Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Eligibility criteria

To qualify for this category, candidates must:

• have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer (a permanent job, or one with no set end date) from an employer in BC in a specific occupation in tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking, or the food processing industry OR, if the job offer is location in the Northeast Development Region, any National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 4 or 5 position (except for live-in caregivers);
• have been working full-time for the employer for a minimum of nine consecutive months before applying;
• qualify to do the job offered;
• be earning a wage in line with BC wage rates for the occupation;
• submit valid language test results showing a minimum score equal to or greater than Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in all four competencies (listening, speaking, reading and writing);
• meet minimum education requirements;
• have successfully completed secondary education (graduated from high school) either within or outside Canada;
• show they can support themselves and their dependents; and
• have legal immigration status in Canada.

Employer requirements

The employer must:

• be established as an employer in good standing in BC;
• provide full-time, indeterminate (permanent or with no set end date) employment;
• have a history of good workplace and business practices;
• sign an employer declaration;
• meet domestic labour market recruitment requirements, where applicable; and
• offer a wage in line with industry standards.

The BC Skills Immigration Registration System

Applications to the BC PNP Skills Immigration Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category are managed under the Skills Immigration Registration System, or SIRS. Under this system, eligible candidates must first register a profile under the SIRS, a unique system used by the BC PNP to rank and select candidates who have the ability to settle permanently in the province.

Upon registration, candidates are assigned a score based on a combination of factors, including the details of the job offer, as well as human capital factors relating to work experience, language ability, and level of education.

The system operates on an Expression of Interest / Invitation to Apply basis, whereby the BC PNP conducts periodic draws and invites the highest-ranked candidates to apply for provincial nomination.

Eligible occupations

Below is a list of eligible occupations in the tourism/hospitality, long-haul trucking, and food processing. Each occupation has a corresponding National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.

Northeast Development Region

If you are not working in one of the occupations listed above, you may be eligible for the BC PNP Skills Immigration Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category if you are currently working in the Northeast Development Region of the province in any entry level or semi-skilled occupation, other than live-in caregivers, listed as NOC TEER 4 or 5.

The Northeast contains two regional districts (Northern Rockies and Peace River) with a total of eight municipalities and nine First Nations.

Priority Occupations for BC PNP draws

The BC PNP periodically issues invitations to candidates with experience in priority occupations. The priority occupations are divided into four categories: tech occupations, healthcare occupations, childcare occupations, and other priority occupations. These are the priority occupations for each category:

Get help

Do you need assistance in preparing an application for Canadian permanent residence? If so, view our Book an Immigration Consultant page to see Moving2Canada’s list of recommended, accredited representatives who can assist you in your goals.