FEDERAL SKILLED WORKER PROGRAM (FSWP)

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is Canada’s flagship immigration program for workers, allowing the country to welcome tens of thousands of newcomers every year based on their ability to become established in Canada’s workforce. Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents primarily based on their educational backgrounds, working experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and various other factors. These things often help citizens succeed in Canada.

The most successful express entry candidates have immigrated to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. A recent research by the Canadian government has shown that FSWP immigrants go on to have successful and fulfilling careers in Canada.

In another way, pursuing immigration through the FSWP is advantageous as the selected candidate can gain permanent residence within the first six months, compared with longer processing times for Canada's other skilled worker programs.

**Skilled workers who want to live in Quebec apply under a separate category. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. **

WHO IS IT FOR?

Professionals and skilled workers around the world who want to immigrate to Canada permanently can do so through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Candidates can apply with their spouse/partner and dependent children.

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

To begin with, your eligibility to the program is what matters. You can check if you qualify for the program through our evaluation form. Then, you submit an Express Entry profile online.

Once your profile is submitted, a CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) is sent to you based on your age, education, language skills, and work experience.

Note that, every two weeks, the government of Canada holds express entry draws that invite the highest CRS scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence. After submitting your completed application, you may expect to receive your permanent residence status within six months and move to Canada.

 

Step by step:

In order to be eligible for applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, candidates must meet the minimum requirements for work, language ability, education and obtain at least 67 points under the 100-point grid of the program.

 The minimum requirements are as follows:

  • One year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years, in a skilled occupation classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B.
  • Validated language ability equivalent to CLB 7 (Canadian Language Benchmark) in English or French.
  • Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report. 
  • Get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid.
  • Meet the settlement funds criteria. Candidates may have to demonstrate a certain amount of savings that will help support them financially upon arriving in Canada.

Once you meet the minimum requirements and are eligible, you can enter the Express Entry pool. Candidate profiles in the Express Entry pool, which also includes Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class candidates, are ranked based on their CRS. 

Selection Factors:

Upon meeting all the minimum requirements, your application is then assessed based on how well you do in each of the following 6 factors mentioned below:

The current pass mark is 67 points.

  1. LANGUAGE ABILITY

It is very much essential to be able to communicate in one or both of Canada’s official languages. Knowing English, French or both will help you succeed in the Canadian job market.

You can get up to 28 points for your language skills in English and French based on your ability to:

  • write
  • read
  • listen
  • speak
  1. EDUCATION

If you have foreign education, you must have:

  • a completed credential, and
  • an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). for immigration purposes from a designated organisation showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution.
  1. WORK EXPERIENCE

You can get points for the number of years you’ve spent doing full-time paid work (at least 30 hours per week, or an equal amount of part-time i.e., 15 hours per week for 24 months) at skill type 0, or skill levels A or B of the 2016 National Occupational Classification.

To get selection factor points, your work experience will count if it was:

  • in Canada or abroad
  • while you were studying
  • while being self-employed
  1. AGE

While it's necessary to be at least 18 years, people aged between 18 and 35 get 12 points. If you are aged above 35, your score will be lesser than 12. It's thus advisable to indulge in citizenship and immigration decisions, early in your career.

  1. ARRANGED EMPLOYMENT IN CANADA

You can get points if you have a job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer. You must get the job offer before you apply to come to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker.

A valid job offer has to be for a continuous, paid, full-time work (minimum of 30 hours/week) that is not seasonal, but for a year long and is also listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC.

The immigration officer assessing your profile must be convinced that you’re able to perform the job that has been offered to you and that you are capable to become licensed or certified when in Canada (if the occupation is regulated in Canada)

  1. ADAPTABILITY

You and your spouse or common-law partner who will immigrate with you to Canada can earn points for adaptability.

You and your spouse can earn a maximum of 10 points by combining any of the elements below. These elements assess how well you and your spouse are likely to settle in Canada:

- Your spouse or partner’s language level

To get these points your spouse or common-law partner must have a language level in either English or French at CLB 4 level or higher in all 4 language abilities, you must submit their test results from an approved agency when you apply.

- Your spouse or common-law partner’s past studies in Canada

You must have completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (at least 2 years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. You must have stayed in good academic standing during that time.

- Your past work in Canada

To get points from this section, you must have had at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada where the respective job is listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and, with a valid work permit.

- Your spouse or common-law partner’s past work in Canada

Your spouse or partner has had at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada.

- Arranged employment in Canada

You will earn points for having arranged employement in Canada for a full-time job that is not less than one year in this part.

- Relatives in Canada

If you or your spouse or common-law partner have a relative such as:

  • parent
  • grandparent
  • child
  • grandchild
  • your or your spouse’s sibling
  • your or your spouse’s aunt or uncle (by blood or marriage)
  • your or your spouse’s niece or nephew (grandchild of you or your spouse’s parent)

and they are currently living in Canada, 18 years or older and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, then the points of this section are applicable in your application.