Federal Skilled Worker Program - A Pathway to Canadian Permanent Residence
As a cross-border immigration lawyer based in Windsor, Ontario, Christina Loebach helps individuals seeking to obtain Canadian permanent resident status. This blog post considers the Federal Skilled Workers program, which is one program overseas applicants may use to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
Express Entry in a Nutshell
Express Entry is an electronic system used to manage immigration applications from skilled workers seeking permanent resident status in Canada. Express Entry uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) tool to assess, score, and rank applications using points. These points are awarded on the basis of the applicant’s skills, education, age, language ability in English or French, work experience, and other factors.
There are three economic programs managed through Express Entry: (1) Canada Experience Class, (2) Federal Skilled Workers Program, and (3) Federal Skilled Trades program. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of one of these three programs in order to submit an application through Express Entry.
Requirements for the Federal Skilled Workers Program
The Federal Skilled Workers program is for skilled workers with foreign (outside of Canada) work experience who want to become Canadian permanent residents. At a minimum, the applicant’s skilled work experience must:
Be within one of the following TEER categories: 0, 1, 2, or 3;
Have the same NOC as the job the applicant’s primary occupation;
Show that the applicant performed the actions in the lead statement of the NOC job description, and most of the main duties listed;
Have been obtained within the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad;
Be paid work (i.e. the applicant earned wages or commission - volunteer work or unpaid internships cannot be counted); and
Be at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)
Applicants must also take an approved language test in English or French, and meet the minimum score of CLB 7 in all 4 abilities (writing, reading, listening, and speaking).
Unlike the other two programs administered through Express Entry, applicants to the Federal Skilled Worker Program must at least hold a high school diploma. Additional selection criteria points are available to applicants with post-secondary education.
Additionally, applicants must be able to prove that they have enough money for themselves and their family to settle in Canada. The amount of funds needed is dependent upon family size, and is periodically updated by the government. The only exception to this requirement are situations where the applicant is currently able to legally work in Canada (i.e. holds a valid work permit), and they have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
If an applicant meets all of the minimum requirements, IRCC applies selection factor points to help assess the applicant’s eligibility. Overall scores are assigned out of 100:
Language skills - Maximum 28 points
Education - Maximum 25 points
Skilled work experience - Maximum 15 points
Age - Maximum 12 points
Arranged employment in Canada - Maximum 10 points
Adaptability - Maximum 10 points
If the applicant scores 67 points or higher, they may qualify and be permitted to submit a profile to the Express Entry pool. If the applicant scores lower than 67 points, they will not qualify for the program.
If you would like Christina to provide legal advice on Express Entry that is tailored to your situation, please schedule a consultation.