Canada Federal Skilled Worker Explained

This is one out of the three programs contained within Canada’s Express Entry system for processing applications for permanent residency. It is no longer news that programs within Express Entry are greatly competitive; therefore, it uses the Comprehensive Ranking System to rate applicants.

The launch of the Federal Skilled Worker program in 1967 introduced an objective point system to make way for skilled immigrants into Canada.

These days, Canada pays more attention to objective factors such as education, age, language skills, and work experience to ascertain if an immigrant can compete in the Canadian labour market.

Fortunately, this program has proven to be successful for many immigrants. This is evident in that countries such as New Zealand and Australia have adopted the Federal Skilled Worker program.

According to Canada’s immigration plan for 2021-2023, Canada is looking at welcoming more than 400,000 immigrants yearly. Interestingly, about 110,000 of these immigrants migrate to Canada via Express Entry yearly.

Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, most of the people who migrated to Canada under Express Entry were able to do so through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. 

Requirements for Federal Skilled Worker Program

To be an eligible candidate, there are certain requirements you must meet (at least get the minimum score of these requirements).

1. Work Experience

You must have continuous, full-time, and skilled work experience for a minimum of one year and must be completed within ten years before your application.

Furthermore, professional work experience can be referred to as an experience categorized under NOC Skill Level 0, A, or B, where NOC 0 jobs are under managerial positions. At the same time, NOC A requires University education and NOC B are jobs that fall under the skilled trades.

2. Language Proficiency

Another requirement you must meet to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program is completing an English and French language test characterized by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).

The sole aim of this test is to objectively evaluate your language skills, and you must reach the minimum level on the Canadian Language Benchmark.

3. Education

It would help if you had at least a diploma from a Canadian or foreign high school. Aside from this, it would be best if you got an (ECA) Educational Credential Assessment. The aim of obtaining an ECA is to make sure your foreign education meets Canadian standards.

4. Financial Support

This is another requirement you must meet: being financially capable of supporting yourself and your spouse and children who will settle in Canada with you.

5. Reside in Canada

 Of course, to be qualified for the Federal Skill Worker Program, you must reside outside the Quebec province/territory.

Conclusively, you ought to obtain a minimum of 67 points out of the 100 points on the Federal Skilled Worker Program grid.

The grid is stated below;

• 25 points allocated to Education
• 28  points allocated to  Language Skills
• 15  points allocated to Work Experience
• 12  points allocated to Age 
• 10  points allocated to Arranged Employment
• 10  points allocated to Adaptability

As long as you meet the above requirements, you are qualified to present an Express Entry profile for the Federal Skilled Worker program. Moreover, you should note that you must meet Canada’s basic admissibility requirements.

Conditions that can make you inadmissible to Canada are some criminal offences and medical conditions.

Step-By-Step Procedures for Application of Federal Skill Worker Program

First Step: The initial step is to make sure you meet the Federal Skill Worker Program eligibility criteria. You can make use of CandaVisa’s free eligibility tool.

Second Step: Furthermore, applicants must go-ahead to submit an Express Entry profile to IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). Please candidates should note that submitting an Express Entry Profile is not in any way an assurance that you will receive Canadian permanent residence. After completing your profile, you will be assigned a CRS score(Comprehensive Ranking System).

The CRS evaluates each Express Entry Candidates based on the criteria mentioned above, such as education, age, Canadian work and study experience, language skills, even if they have already arranged Canadian employment or were nominated by a Canadian province.

After this submission will a Candidate be considered to be invited to apply for permanent residence in the future Express Entry draws.

There are certain documents a Federal Skill Worker candidate will have to present when submitting their Express Entry profile:

• Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA)
  Here, an FSW applicant must present a legitimate ECA report which serves as proof of the value of foreign education by Canadian standards in order to claim points allocated for education. Educational documents from Canadian educational institutions are exempted from this criterium. Furthermore, there are five Canadian organizations that have been approved to assign ECA reports.   
• Language Proficiency Test Results
  Candidates under the Express Entry programs must show results from an authorized language test that was taken within the past two years. Here are approved English tests and they are the IELTS exam, and the CELPIP exam (this is available only in Canada) while authorized tests for French are the Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF) and the Test de Connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada).
• Identification Documents
  All applicants are expected to present information obtained from identification documents. Normally, candidates and all family members accompanying them must have a valid passport for the trip. 

Third Step: Candidates should continuously be on the lookout for the Express Entry draws to know when they get an (ITA) invitation to apply for permanent residence. Candidates who had the highest CRS scores are issued ITAs after the IRCC hold draws, which happen every two weeks.

Fourth Step: Once you are issued an Invitation to Apply for Canadian permanent residence, then you have just sixty days to get ready and submit an eAPR (electronic Application for Permanent Residence) although there are further documentations you are expected to submit with this application. You can now migrate to Canada when IRCC concludes and finalizes your application. 

Finally, Canada has since 2015 managed the FSWP via its Express Entry application management system alongside the other three skilled worker programs. 

Research has it that FSWP immigrants most times have succeeded in their careers in Canada.