The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) was launched back in 1967 as a program allowing the Government of Canada to select skilled immigrants from all over the world. The FSW became the world’s first point-based program that allowed the Government of Canada to use objective criteria to rank and evaluate candidates aiming to immigrate to Canada.
In fact, the Federal Skilled Worker Program is by far the most popular Economic Immigration Program in Canada. The FSW program extends Permanent Resident status to qualifying people who have never been to Canada, don’t have Canadian Work experience, never studied in Canada, or even have a relative who can sponsor them. So, if you’re wondering how to immigrate to Canada from India, Qatar, Nigeria, Pakistan, or any other country, the answer is quite straightforward - the Federal Skilled Worker Program may be your best option for immigrating to Canada.
Under the Federal Skilled Worker program, all candidates are assigned a certain number of points for their age, level of education, English or French language abilities, foreign work experience, primary occupation, arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability factors. Since January 2015, all Federal Skilled Worker applications are now processed through the Express Entry system, an electronic application management system used by IRCC to process applications for Permanent Residence in Canada.
About the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program
To apply for Canadian Permanent Residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program you must go through a complex and lengthy process. In general, the process for immigrating to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program consists of 5 steps:
Step 1 - Check your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker program.
You must meet the minimum requirements of the FSW program before you can proceed to the next steps in your immigration journey. IRCC uses FSW selection factor points to assess whether you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You must have a minimum of one year of continuous, full-time, paid foreign work experience, meet minimum language thresholds and score at least 67 out of 100 total points under the FSW selection factor grid to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Eligibility allows you to enter the Express Entry pool.
Step 2 - Create an Express Entry Profile.
Once you create the Express Entry Profile you will be assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System score (also known as a CRS score). The CRS score is a different system used by IRCC to rank your profile again other eligible candidates. The CRS score is based on a number of factors including your age, post-secondary education, English or French language skills, foreign and Canadian work experience, marital status, adaptability factors, and provincial nomination. You can get a maximum of 1200 CRS points in the Express Entry System.
Step 3 - Wait for the Invitation to Apply (ITA).
All applicants with a valid Express Entry profile are automatically added to a pool of candidates and are ranked based on their CRS score. Approximately twice a month IRCC issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to the highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool.
Step 4 - Prepare and submit an Electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR).
Once you receive an Invitation to Apply you must prepare and submit an Electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR). You will have only 60 days to collect all supporting documents, complete the immigration application forms and submit your eAPR.
Step 5 - Receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence and complete your landing in Canada.
If and when your application for Permanent Residence in Canada is approved you will need to complete your landing process in Canada. For Citizens of countries that require a visa to come to Canada, and are outside Canada, you must be issued a PR Visa in your passport before you can travel to Canada. Only after officially completing your landing procedure will you obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada.
How does the Federal Skilled Worker Program work?
To apply for Permanent Residence in Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program you must meet the minimum eligibility requirements:
Score at least 67 points under FSW Points Grid (points assigned for age, education, work experience, language skills, job offer if you have one, and for adaptability skills)
You must have at least one year, in the last 10 years, of continuous, paid, full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B)
Pass an approved English or French language test with a minimum of CLB 7 or NCLC 7.
Obtain either a Canadian educational credential or a foreign educational credential with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
Have enough funds for you and your family to settle in Canada (except if you have a job offer from a Canadian employer).
Be admissible to Canada
Eligibility for Federal Skilled Worker Program
To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program you must score at least 67 points under the Federal Skilled Worker Points Grid. Points are assigned for a number of selection factors, including age, education, foreign and Canadian work experience, language abilities, etc. The full list of Federal Skilled Worker selection factors is provided below:
Language skills
It is required that all Federal Skilled Worker program applicants know at least one of Canada’s official languages, either English or French. Your language abilities will be assessed by IRCC through one of the official language tests: CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program, IELTS: International English Language Testing System, TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français, or TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français.
You can get a maximum of 28 points for your English or French language skills. The number of points depends on your language test scores. IRCC uses CLB (for English language) and NCLC (for French language) Benchmarks. You must achieve a minimum CLB 7 or NCLC 7 level for one of the official languages in each of the 4 abilities: writing, listening, reading, and speaking.
| First official language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB level 9 or higher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB level 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CLB level 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Below CLB level 7 | Not eligible to apply | Not eligible to apply | Not eligible to apply | Not eligible to apply |
Second Official Language Skills
You may get an additional 4 points if you scored at least CLB 5 in each of the 4 language abilities in your second official language test.
Level of Education
You can get a maximum of 25 points on the Federal Skilled Worker Point Grid for your education.
| Level of Education | Points (25 max) |
|---|---|
| Doctoral (PhD) 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/high school diploma | 5 points |
ECA Report
If you studied outside Canada and obtained your educational credentials abroad you must obtain an Educational Credential Assessment report (ECA) for immigration purposes.
You will not be able to claim foreign education for the purposes of Express Entry without obtaining an ECA report first.
Work Experience
You can get up to 15 FSW points for your work experience in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 skill level. To determine if your work experience falls into TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 you will need to match your actual main job duties with the duties associated with a corresponding position in the National Occupation Classification system. If you’re having trouble identifying your NOC, you may use our step-by-step guide on how to find your NOC code or subscribe to the Express Entry Do-It-Yourself Online Course. We also do a lot of consultations with people to confirm their proper NOC.
| Experience | Maximum 15 points |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 9 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 6 or more years | 15 |
Your Age
You can get a maximum of 12 FSW points for your age. If you’re under 18 years of age, or over 47 years old you will not get any points for the age factor. Here is a breakdown of how many points you can get depending on your age:
Arranged employment in Canada
If you obtained a qualified job offer from a Canadian employer you may receive up to 10 points on the Federal Skilled Worker points grid. However, you must remember that:
Your job offer must be for continuous, paid, full-time work (minimum of 30 hours/week) that is:
not seasonal; and
for at least 1 year.
The Canadian job offer must be for an occupation listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B within the National Occupation Classification (NOC 2016).
You must be able to prove that you’re able to do the job offered to you by the Canadian Employer and that you will be able to obtain any necessary licenses or certifications upon arriving in Canada (if the job is regulated in Canada)
Overall, to be able to claim points for arranged employment in Canada you must fit one of these scenarios:
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0 |
| 18-35 | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| 39 | 8 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 41 | 6 |
| 42 | 5 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 1 |
| 47 and older | 0 |
Adaptability in Canada
Adaptability factors show how likely you and your spouse will successfully settle in Canada. You can earn a maximum of 10 points by combining any of these adaptability factors:
| Scenarios | Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| You are currently working in Canada on a work permit | and meet ALL of the following requirements | - Your work permit is valid both when applying and when the permanent resident visa is issued (or you're allowed to work in Canada without a work permit when your is issued). - Your work permit is based on a positive LMIA from ESDC in an occupation listed under NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B. - You are working for an employer named in your work permit. - Your employer has made a valid job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker. |
10 |
| You are currently working in Canada in a job that is LMIA exempt because of: - an international agreement (CUSMA (formerly NAFTA), CETA, etc.), or - significant benefit to Canadian interests, or - a federal-provincial agreement |
and meet ALL of the following requirements | - Your work permit is valid both when you apply and when the permanent resident visa is issued (or you’re allowed to work in Canada without a work permit when your permanent resident visa is issued). - Your current employer has made a valid job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker. - You are currently working for the employer specified on your work permit.- You have been working for that employer for at least 1 year, continuous full-time or part-time equivalent. |
10 |
| You’re currently working in Canada in a job that is exempt from a LMIA, but it is not under: - an international, federal-provincial agreement, or - because of significant benefit to Canadian interests |
and meet ALL of the following requirements | A prospective employer has made a valid permanent, full-time skilled job offer and received a positive LMIA from ESDC in an occupation listed under NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B. | 10 |
| You don't have a valid work permit or don’t plan to work in Canada before you obtain PR status in Canada |
and meet ALL of the following requirements | - Your current employer has received a positive LMIA from ESDC in an occupation listed under NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B. - Your current employer has made a valid job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker. |
10 |
| Adaptability | Maximum 10 points |
|---|---|
| Your spouse or partner’s language level Your spouse or common-law partner has a language level in either English or French at CLB 4 level or higher in all 4 language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing). To get these points, you must submit your spouse or common-law partner’s test results from an approved agency when you apply. The language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence. |
5 |
| Your past studies in Canada You completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (in a program at least 2 years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week. You must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time. |
5 |
| Your spouse or partner’s past studies in Canada Your spouse or common-law partner completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (in a program at least 2 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 |
| Your past work in Canada You did at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada in a job listed in NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B, and with a valid work permit, or while authorized to work in Canada. |
10 |
| Your spouse or common-law partner’s past work in Canada Your spouse or partner did at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada. |
5 |
| Arranged employment in Canada You earned points for having arranged employment |
5 |
| Relatives in Canada You, or your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative who is living in Canada, 18 years or older, and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident This relative must be a: parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, your or your spouse’s sibling (child of your or your spouse’s parent), your or your spouse’s aunt or uncle (by blood or marriage), your or your spouse’s niece or nephew (grandchild of your or your spouse’s parent) |
5 |
Federal Skilled Worker Program selection criteria
Download our Free Resource for Express Entry applicants:
Preparing your own Express Entry application may be quite challenging - you’ll need to collect numerous forms, supporting documents, and make sure there are no inconsistencies in your information. That is why, it might be a great idea to retain an immigration lawyer to go with you over your application and proofread it before you send it off to IRCC. However, not all applicants can afford the legal fees for retaining an immigration lawyer in Canada…
This is why we created a complete video Express Entry guide and instructions. This is a video course that will take you step by step through the process of preparing and submitting your application.
This Express Entry Course is a one of a kind online immigration lawyer guided course that is full of video tutorials, checklists, templates, and sample documents all designed to make your Express Entry process as effortless as possible while giving you the tools you need to ensure your application is prepared correctly the first time because there are rarely second chances.