Canada Federal Skilled Worker Program

Skilled workers are those people, who the Canadian Immigration authorities trust to be able to successfully establish themselves in Canada, economically or financially. These people are supposed to have a decent command over English and/or French language(s), a good educational background, previous work experience, amongst other things to help them settle in Canada.

Eligibility

Now, how would you know if you are a Federal Skilled Worker or not? It’s simple, You are one, if:

Your work experience matches the type of job that you chose as your primary NOC.
You have been working within the last 10 years, with at least 1 year of continuous work,Either full-time at a single job-30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)Or part-time-15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
You show that you did in fact perform all the main duties that came with your job description listed in the NOC.
You can clearly show your work experience, for otherwise you won’t be deemed eligible for the program

We have here six selection factors, each with a maximum number of points to score. The highest you can score, is a 100. You need a minimum score of 67 out of 100 to be eligible to get a Canadian visa on the basis of being a Federal Skilled Worker. Any less than 67, and you won’t qualify for immigration.

Language skills

(Maximum points you can score: 28)

An overview: English and French are the two official languages of Canada, and primary languages of communication there. Therefore, your proficiency in at least one of the two languages is an important decider as to whether or not you can get a Canadian visa.

What do You Need to do?

The abilities you’ll be checked for, are:

Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking

You will be taking Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English, and/or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French.

You will be required to reach at least the level of CLB 7 or NCLC 7 for your first official language in each language section. For the second official language, you would need to reach at least the level of CLB 5 or NCLC 5, in each of the four areas.

Your Express Entry profile will be incomplete without the test results included. Under no circumstances, can you attain your visa eligibility, unless your test results show that you’ve met the required level of proficiency. You can give both language tests, and include the results to prove your proficiency in English as well as French.

Accepted Language Tests for Canada Immigration:

You can take any of these approved language tests:

English

CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program

you must take the CELPIP-General test
IRCC don’t accept the General-LS test for Express Entry

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

you must take the General Training option
IRCC don’t accept the Academic option for Express Entry

French

TEF: Test d’évaluation de français, including:

compréhension de l’écrit
compréhension de l’orale
expression écrite
expression orale

Education

(Maximum points you can score: 25)

Overview: Education is a factor that no government can ignore. Canadian government would of course like people migrating to their country to be a strong part of their robust economy. And therefore, they would like only people with a basic set level of education to migrate to Canada.

What do You Need to do?

If you got your education in Canada, you will definitely have your certificate, diploma, or degree from either a Canadian secondary or high school, or post-secondary school.

If you went to school anywhere outside Canada, you will need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an approved agency. The report should prove that your foreign education is equivalent to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian secondary or high school, or post-secondary school.Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports for Canadian immigration purposes expire five years from the date of issue.

Level of Education	Maximum of 25 Points
Doctoral Level	25 points
Master’s level or professional degree	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	5 points

Your Express Entry profile will be incomplete without your Canadian credential or your foreign credential, as well as Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report when you apply.

Assessment Authorities for Foreign Education

Any Foreign education must get assessed from any one of the below organization

Comparative Education Service (CES)
World Education Services (WES)
International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)
Medical Council of Canada – Assessment for Specialist and Family Physicians
Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada – Assessment for Pharmacists

Experience

(Maximum points you can score: 15)

Overview: After education, the Canadian government would prefer if you’ve had some work experience. The more full-time or part-time work experience you show on your application, the more points you can gather to secure your Canadian visa eligibility.

What do You Need to do?

You can either show your full-time work experience, which should be for paid work, and should amount to at least 30 hours per week. If not full-time, you can also show an equal amount of part-time work.

Assessment of Skills:

It is the National Occupational Classification (NOC) that helps assess the skills, duties, work settings, and the talents required for various jobs. The worker applications are checked thoroughly using the 2016 edition of the NOC

To get your visa, your Express Entry profile would need a NOC codes referring to the specific jobs that you’ve had in the past. The final points for this section are scored on the basis of how well do the general description
and list of duties match what your duties were at your past job(s).

Work Experience	Maximum of 15 Points
1 year	9 points
2-3 years	11 points
4-5 years	13 points
6 years or more	15 points

Just like you need your passport on various occasions, the same way you could need this information later too. So, save it properly.

Age

(Maximum points you can score: 12)

Overview: Every Federal Skilled Worker applicant is awarded a fixed number of points, depending on their age at the time they get their application.

What do You Need to do?

YDepending on the information below, you will know the number of points that you will get, pertaining to your age.

Age of Applicant	Maximum of 12 Points
18 to 35	12
36	11
37	10
38	09
39	08
40	07
41	06
42	05
43	04
44	03
45	02
46	01
47 or more	00

Arranged employment in Canada

(Maximum points you can score: 10)

Overview: The maximum of 10 points can be scored in this section, if you have secured a full time position with a Canadian employer, before having applied for your visa as a federal skilled worker. This would help you start your work as soon as possible with your Canadian employer.

What do You Need to do?

You would have to show a valid job offer from before the time you tried to apply for this visa. And this job offer should have the below listed features:

It should be an offer for a full-time continuous work.
It should be paid work.Seasonal work will not count.
Seasonal work will not count.
You should have an offer for at least a year of work
The work should match the occupation listed as your Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC.

How to score the 10 points?

You can get the points for a valid job offer. Only under the following conditions, would the job offer be considered as valid:

If	And	Maximum of 10 Points
You currently work in Canada on a temporary work permit.	Your work permit is valid under both circumstances, that is – when you apply, as well as when your visa is issued (or you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) AND Based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), your work permit has been issued by the IRCC. The LMIA would have been applied for, by your employer. And further down, you’d have attached the LMIA to your application to the IRCC. AND You are working for an employer named on your work permit. In addition, they would have made you a permanent job offer based on the fact that you’re being accepted as a skilled worker.	10 points
You currently work in Canada at a job which is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment requirement under an international agreement, or a federal-provincial agreement.	Your work permit is valid under both circumstances, that is – when you apply, as well as when your visa is issued (or you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) AND Your present employer has made you a permanent job offer based on the fact that you’re being accepted as a skilled worker.	10 points
You currently don’t have a work permit, or you don’t plan to work in Canada before getting a PR visa. OR You currently work in Canada, and you have a different employer offering you a permanent full-time job OR You currently work in Canada in a job which is exempt from a LMIA requirement, but not under any agreement – either international or federal-provincial.	An employer has made you a permanent job offer based on the fact that you are being accepted as a skilled worker AND That same employer has a positive Labour Impact Assessment from ESDC	10 points

Adaptability

(Maximum points you can score: 10)

Overview: The question here is, how quickly and how well can you establish yourself, especially economically, in Canada. And that is when the Adaptability factor comes into view. It points towards those Citizenship and Immigration factors that may help you to improve your ability as a Foreign Skilled Worker applicant to adapt to the Canadian job market.

What do You Need to do?

Depending on which of the following Adaptability criteria fits your profile perfectly, you will be awarded subsequent points.

Adaptability	Maximum of 10 Points
Your spouse or partner’s language level Your spouse or common-law partner has a t CLB 4 level or higher language level in either English or French, in all the four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing).To get these points, you must submit test results from an approved agency while applying. Results can’t be more than a couple of years old on the day that you apply.	5 points
Your past study in Canada You finished at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program that was at least two years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study would mean at least 15 hours of classes per week, and you must have stayed in a good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time.	5 points
Your spouse or partner’s past study in Canada Your spouse or common-law partner finished at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program at least two years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week, and your spouse or partner must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time	5 points
Your past work in Canada You competed at least one year of full-time work in Canada: in a job that was listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and with a valid work permit, or while you were authorized to work, in Canada	10 points
Your spouse or common-law partner’s past work in Canada Your spouse / partner did at least one year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit or while they were authorized to work in Canada.	5 points
Arranged Employment in Canada You earned points under Factor 5: Arranged Employment.	5 points
Relatives in Canada You, or if it applies, your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative:Who lives in Canada Is 18 years or older and Is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident there. This relative must be a: Parent Grandparent Child Grandchild child of a parent (sibling) child of a grandparent (aunt or uncle) grandchild of a parent (niece or nephew)	5 points

Visa Class

Express Entry Program

Canadian Express Entry program is a system to manage various immigration applications, that was initiated in the year 2015. There are three categories of immigration programs, varying on the country's economic basis, through which any person intending to live while working a full-time job in Canada, can seek immigration through.

Express Entry Programs