Foreign skilled workers and professionals are greatly needed in Canada.

One of the main goals of Canadian immigration is to welcome skilled newcomers who will contribute to Canada’s growing economy. Skilled workers who settle in Canada on a permanent basis are especially valuable to Canada’s economy and the strength of its workforce.

Successful applicants of the Skilled Worker Immigration programs will receive a Canadian Immigration (permanent resident) Visa, allowing the applicant to immigrate to Canada with his or her family.

As a skilled worker or professional, you have several options to consider. For example, you may be eligible to apply under Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker. Moreover, if you know in which province or territory you plan to reside, you may be able to submit an application through one of the Provincial Nominee Programs.

Federal Skilled Worker applications are assessed based on an applicant’s ability to become economically established upon immigration to Canada.

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications are processed through the Express Entry immigration selection system for immigration to Canada.

Eligibility Criteria for the Federal Skilled Worker program

Federal Skilled Worker (Professional) applicants must obtain at least 67 points based on immigration selection factors outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Federal Skilled Worker Selection Factors

The Federal Skilled Worker selection factors are listed below. Click each factor to learn more information:

Factors Points
Education Up to 25 points
Language Skills Up to 28 points
Work Experience Up to 15 points
Age Up to 12 points
Arranged Employment Up to 10 points
Adaptability Up to 10 points

Once it has been determined that a candidate meets the eligibility requirements, he or she must show that he or she has sufficient settlement funds to support him or herself and any dependents after his or her arrival in Canada. Finally, candidates and their dependents must also undergo medical examinations and obtain security clearances as part of the Canadian immigration application process.

Federal Skilled Worker Program processing times, processing fees and application process

Processing Times
Federal Skilled Worker Processing Times vary from one Canadian Immigration Visa office to another. 80% of the applications in the Express Entry System are processed in six months or less
Processing Fees
Federal Skilled Worker Government Processing Fees can vary with exchange rates and are subject to change.

Principal Applicant’s fee – CAD $550

Spouse of Principal Applicant’s fee – CAD $550

Dependent Children* fee – CAD $150

* A family member of the principal applicant who is under 19 years of age, or is 19 years of age or older who has been unable to be financially self-supporting since before the age of 19, due to a physical or mental condition

Application Process
Contact us to learn more about how the application process works so that you can know what to expect from the very first step to the moment you land in Canada as a Permanent Resident.

Education

The Education Factor is one of the six factors under which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker/Professional applicant will be accepted or refused under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

Education points are awarded based on an assessment of the applicant’s educational credentials. For any foreign-obtained credentials, this assessment will include a determination of the equivalent to that credential if it were obtained in Canada.

Up to 25 points will be awarded to the applicant under the Education Factor on the following basis:

Level of Education Points (25 max)
Doctoral (PhD) level 25 points
Master’s level or professional degree. Occupation related to the degree must be:

  • NOC 2016 Skill Level A, and
  • licensed by a provincial regulatory body

Also, Degree program must be in one of the following academic disciplines: Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Podiatry, Optometry, Law, Chiropractic Medicine, or Pharmacy.

23 points
Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a three-year or longer post-secondary credential 22 points
Three-year or longer post-secondary credential 21 points
Two-year post-secondary credential 19 points
One-year post-secondary credential 15 points
Secondary school/high school diploma 5 points

NoteTo obtain education factor points for a foreign credential, it is important to demonstrate that a foreign credential is equal to a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian educational institution.

Therefore, Federal Skilled Worker candidates with a foreign education must provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for their foreign education to receive education points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Language Skills

The language skills factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker/Professional applicant will be eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Up to 28 points are awarded under the language skills factor, based upon the applicant’s ability to speak one or both of Canada’s two official languages. Up to 24 points can be awarded for competency in a first language (English or French). An additional four points may be awarded for a second language (English or French). The applicant may indicate either the English or French language as the first or second language for the purpose of being assessed under the language skills factor.

All applicants must include International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) results or Test d’Evaluation de Francais (TEF) with their application in order for points in language to be guaranteed. No other method is approved to support language abilities.

Through the chosen exam, applicants must prove that they meet or exceed a minimum threshold in all four language abilities (listening, reading, speaking, writing). This threshold is set at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) as level 7, which is defined as “adequate intermediate proficiency”. Applicants who score below this CLB threshold are not eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker program at this time.

Credits for Language Skills are awarded on the following basis:

Proficiency Level Points (24 + 4 max)
First Official Language
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing Intermediate
IELTS 6.0/6.0/6.0/6.0
4 pts/ability
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing High intermediate
IELTS 6.5/7.5/6.5/6.5
5 pts/ability
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing Advanced
IELTS 7.0/8.0/7.0/7.0
6 pts/ability
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing Spouse/partner’s official language (CLB4)
IELTS 4.0/4.5/3.5/4.0
5 pts
Maximum 24 points
Second Official Language
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing CLB/NCLC 5 in all abilities
IELTS 5.0/5.0/4.0/5.0
4 points
Maximum
*Listening, reading, speaking, writing
4 points

Work Experience

The work experience factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Federal Skilled Worker applicant will be accepted or refused under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

Up to 15 points are awarded under the work experience factor, based upon the number of years of experience. The applicant requires at least 12 months of full-time* skilled work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work), and points can be earned for up to six years of work experience. This work experience must be acquired in an occupation listed by the Government of Canada as having a 0, A, B or C Code of the National Occupational Classification of Canada.

Points will be awarded on the following basis:

Work Experience Points (15 max)
1 year (at least one year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total) 9 points
2-3 years 11 points
4-5 years 13 points
6 years or more 15 points

*Full-time work refers to at least 30 hour per week. For part-time work, the applicant could have worked more or less than 15 hours per week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours.

The age factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker applicant will be accepted or refused.

Up to 12 points will be awarded under the age factor on the following basis:

Age of Applicant Points (12 max)
18 to 35 12 points
36 11 points
37 10 points
38 9 points
39 8 points
40 7 points
41 6 points
42 5 points
43 4 points
44 3 points
45 2 points
46 1 points
47 and over 0 points

Arranged Employment enhances your chances of being eligible for Canadian immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

An applicant may receive additional points for “Arranged Employment” when a Canadian employer extends an offer of full-time permanent employment in Canada to a foreign skilled worker.

Points can be awarded in a variety of scenarios:

The Applicant And .. Points:
is currently working in Canada on an LMIA-based work permit and his or her work in Canada is considered “skilled” (NOC 0, A, or B level).
  • The work permit is valid when a permanent residency application is made* and
  • The employer has made a permanent, full-time skilled job offer to the applicant.

*At the time the permanent resident visa is issued, the applicant is expected to still hold a valid work permit.

10
is currently working in Canada on an LMIA-exempt work permit or a work permit issued under a provincial/territorial agreement.
  • The work permit is valid when a permanent residence application is made* and
  • The employer has made a permanent, full-time skilled job offer to the applicant.

*At the time the permanent resident visa is issued, the applicant is expected to still hold a valid work permit.

10
does not hold a valid work permit and is not authorized to work in Canada.
  • A prospective employer has made a permanent, full-time skilled job offer to the applicant; and
  • The offer of employment has received a positive LMIA
10
holds a valid work permit or is otherwise authorized to work in Canada, but does not fall under one of the two above scenarios.
  • The work permit or authorization is valid when a permanent residence application is made;
  • A prospective employer has made a permanent, full-time skilled job offer to the applicant; and
  • The offer of employment has received a positive LMIA
10

IMPORTANT NOTE: Individuals in Canada whose applications are accepted for review under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and whose temporary work permit is due to expire, may be eligible for a Bridging Open Work Permit. This work permit will allow them to stay and work in Canada until a final decision has been made on their immigration application.

An additional 5 points may also be awarded for “Arranged Employment” under the Adaptability factor of the Federal Skilled Worker Program for immigration to Canada.

The adaptability factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker/Professional applicant will be accepted or refused under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

Up to 10 points can be awarded under the Adaptability factor, based on an applicant’s ability to establish themselves in Canada. These 10 points can either come from full-time work in Canada, or a combination of six other possible adaptability factors.

Points are awarded under Adaptability based on qualifications that are expected to improve an applicant’s ability to become economically established in Canada as follows:

Adaptability Points (10 max)
PA previous work in Canada (minimum 1 year NOC 0,A,B) 10 points
Previous study in Canada 5 points
Previous study in Canada – accompanying spouse/partner 5 points
Previous work in Canada – accompanying spouse/partner 5 points
Arranged employment in Canada 5 points
Relative in Canada – 18 years or older 5 points
Language ability CLB 4 or above – accompanying spouse/partner (IELTS 4.0/4.5/3.5/4.0) 5 points