Federal Skilled Worker Program
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The Federal Skilled Workers Program is designed for skilled workers who have foreign work experience and who are looking to migrate to Canada permanently.
How the Program Works
The minimum requirements for this program are as follows:
- Skilled work experience
- Language Ability
- Education
Selection Factors
If you meet the minimum requirements, your application is assessed on the following basis:
- Age
- Education
- Work Experience
- If you have a valid job offer
- English/French language skills
- Adaptability
The above factors have a 100-point grid factor. You need to score 67 points to be eligible for the FSW Program. If you score lower than 67 points, you won’t qualify for the program.
To check the breakdown of the points, click the link below
Selection Factor Point Grid
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/federal-skilled-workers/six-selection-factors-federal-skilled-workers.html
Minimum Requirements
You must show at least one year of continuous work experience in one of the following NOC groups:
You get points based on your age on the date you made your application.
If you are between the age group of 18 to 35 years, you can get the maximum points.
Skilled Work Experience (maximum 15 points)
You must show at least one year of continuous work experience in one of the following NOC groups:
- Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
- Professional jobs (skill level A)
- Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)
Your work experience should be:
- In the same job type as the one you have applied for in your application
- Within the last 10 years
- Paid work
- At least 1 year of continuous work or 30 hours per week (1560 hours total)
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example, 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1-year full time (1,560 hours)
- full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1-year full time (1,560 hours)
Part-time Work Experience
If you have part-time work experience, it should be more or less 15 hours/week and should add up to 1,560 hours.
Student Work Experience
Your work experience while you are studying can count towards your minimum work experience if:
- you were paid by wages or commissions
- the work was continuous (with no gaps)
- meets all the other requirements of the FSW Program
Arranged Employment in Canada (maximum 10 points)
You can get a maximum of 10 points if you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. You must however, receive this job offer before you come to Canada as a FSW.
A valid job offer should be:
- for continuous, paid, full-time work (minimum of 30 hours/week) that is:
- not seasonal
- for at least 1 year
- in an occupation listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC.
Language Ability (maximum 28 points)
You must have taken an approved English Language Test for:
- Writing
- Reading
- Listening
- Speaking
You need to get a minimum score of CLB (Canadian Language Benchwork) 7 in all abilities
*Your language tests are valid for two years from the date of the test result. Your language test score must be valid on the day you apply for the PR.
Education (maximum 25 points)
If you studied in Canada, then you must have a Canadian certificate, degree or diploma to show.
If you have a foreign education, you must have the following:
- a completed credential, and
- an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
Adaptability (maximum 10 points)
You and your partner can earn points on the basis of adaptability. By combining any of the elements below, it can be assessed how well you and your spouse are likely to settle in Canada.
- Your spouse or partner’s language level
- Your past studies in Canada
- Your spouse or partner’s past studies in Canada
- Your past work in Canada
- Your spouse or common-law partner’s past work in Canada
- Arranged employment in Canada
- Relatives in Canada
Proof of Funds
To settle in Canada, you must show you have enough funds for you and your family to settle in Canada.
You don’t need to show enough proof of funds to support yourself and your family if:
- you’re applying under the Canadian Experience Class or
- you’re authorized to work in Canada and you have a valid job offer,
Admissibility
You must be admissible to Canada
FAQs
The minimum requirements for federal skilled workers are:
- Skilled work experience
- Language ability
- Education
You can find the CLB level of your language test results for CELPIP, IELTS or TEF, on the Government of Canada website’s language test equivalency charts.
If you meet the criteria to get into the Express Entry pool: Yes. If you are 47 or over, you will not get any points under the Age factor of the Comprehensive Ranking System, but you may get points for other factors such as a job offer, your skills, your language abilities, etc. You may still be invited to apply based on your CRS score and your rank in the pool.
If you receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system under the FSW program: Yes. If you are over 47, you will not get any points under the Age factor of the FSW selection grid, but you can still apply. The applicant’s age is worth 12 percent of the overall selection criteria on the FSW selection grid.
You must prove your language skills by taking an approved language test.
You can take any of these approved language tests:
English
- CELPIP
- IELTS
French
- TEF Canada
- TCF Canada
You also need to make sure that you meet the minimum language threshold in order to be eligible for the program.
Your language test results must be valid (written in the last two years) when you submit your application for permanent residence.
If you were educated outside Canada, you’ll need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes to immigrate as a federal skilled worker.
If you were educated in Canada, you don’t need an ECA.
You can get an ECA at any of the designated organizations listed below.
- Comparative Education Service: University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- World Education Services
- International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
- International Credential Evaluation Service
We will accept ECA reports for five years from the date they are issued, so long as they were issued on or after April 17, 2013.
If you got an ECA report before that date, you should contact the organization to see if they will re-issue it.
