Federal Skilled Worker Program is the major source of immigration to Canada. With a large landmass of rich natural resources and a small population, Canada welcomes skilled workers who meet the requirements.

 

Basic Eligibility

To be eligible you must:

  • Have a valid offer of arranged employment, OR
  • Have at least one year of continuous work experience in one of the 24 eligible occupations, OR
  • Be an international student enrolled in a PhD program in Canada (or graduated from a Canadian PhD program within the past 12 months) for more information click HERE.

As of July 1, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has temporarily stopped accepting applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). This temporary pause does not apply to those with a qualifying job offer or applying under the PhD stream. CIC will start accepting applications again when the revised FSWP selection criteria take effect. Proposed FSWP changes should come into force in May 2013.

 

Work Experience

 The Government of Canada announced its intention to build a fast and flexible economic immigration system with a primary focus on meeting Canada’s labour market needs.

 

Federal Skilled Worker class applications will be evaluated based on the following six criteria; some of them have new changes.

  1.  EDUCATION.
  2.  LANGUAGE. Requiring a minimum level of language proficiency. CIC proposes to recognize the importance of language to socio-economic integration by requiring minimum language abilities in order to qualify for the program; and significantly increasing the maximum points awarded for fluency in one official language from 16 points to 24 points.
  3.  WORK EXPERIENCE. Redirecting points from work experience. Foreign work experience is largely discounted by Canadian employers when the immigrant first enters the Canadian labour market, and it is a weak predictor of economic success. CIC is proposing to reduce the total number of points for work experience from 21 to 15, and increase the years of experience required to achieve full points, from four years to six.
  4.  AGE: Placing a greater emphasis on younger workers. Younger immigrants generally integrate more rapidly into the labour market, and they usually spend a greater number of years contributing to Canada’s economy.
  5.  EMPLOYMENT ARRENGMENT IN CANADA. The specific objectives of this particular proposed amendment are to increase the integrity of the arranged employment factor by enhancing the genuineness assessment and labour market impact through the addition of measures such as the requirement that employers demonstrate that they have tried to first recruit and train Canadians for an available position; and to improve labour market responsiveness by providing a faster and more streamlined process for employers and applicants.
  6.  ADAPTABILITY.

The current pass mark is 67 of 100.

 

Also another proposed change is the introduction of the Educational Credential Assessment – a mandatory requirement that FSWP applicants have their education abroad assessed against Canadian education standards by designated organizations. CIC will then award points according to how an applicant’s foreign educational credential compares to a completed educational credential in Canada. It does not necessarily guarantee that they would become licensed to practice in a regulated occupation.

The main objectives of the proposed regulatory package are to improve the economic outcomes of principal applicants accepted in the FSWC, by selecting candidates who will be able to integrate more rapidly and successfully into the Canadian economy, and by increasing the integrity and
labour market responsiveness of the Arranged Employment factor also to meet Canada’s skilled labour needs by reducing barriers to the immigration of skilled tradespersons; and to make permanent residence more accessible to skilled workers who have demonstrated an ability to integrate into the Canadian labour market.

You must meet one of the following requirements in order to qualify as a Skilled Worker:

  •  Have had at least one year of consecutive experience in one or more of the occupations in demand within the last 10 years, OR
  •  Have had at least one year of full-time, continuous work experience in Skill Type O or Skill Level A (Professional Occupations) or B (Technical occupation and skilled trades) on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) within the last 10 years AND have a full-time job offer in writing from an employer in Canada.

 

Note: Occupation List in Demand, Assessment Policy, and Pass Mark have been changed frequently by the labor market in Canada, so check any updates from CIC and we strongly recommend you to see a certified consultant.

 

Application Processes

 

FSWP Application Processes