The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is for individuals who are selected to immigrate to Canada because of their work experience and skills. 

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ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL SKILLED WORKER PROGRAM

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To be eligible to apply, an individual must:

• Have a job offer; or

• Be eligible to work in Canada; or

• Be able to prove they have the financial resources to support themselves and their dependents after they arrive in Canada.

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The individual must also have:

• at minimum of one (1) year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience

• minimum language levels in English or French

• a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree

• plans to live outside the province of Quebec.

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WHAT IS WORK EXPERIENCE

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Work experience must be paid, full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) and within the last ten (10) years.  Experience must also be from Skill Type 0 (Zero), Skill Level A or Skill Level B:

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• Skill Type 0 (zero): management jobs, such as:

  • restaurant managers

  • mine managers

  • shore captains (fishing)

• Skill Level A: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university, such as:

  • doctors

  • dentists

  • architects

• Skill Level B: technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice, such as:

  • chefs

  • plumbers

  • electricians

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APPLICATION SYSTEM​

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An individuals application will be ranked based on the following system. To be eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Workers Program, an individual must receive at least 67 points out of a possible 100 points based on the following criteria:

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LANGUAGE (Maximum of 28 points)

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Individuals ability to communicate in one or both of Canada's official languages is important. An individual may get up to 28 points for their ability to read, write, listen & speak in English &/or French.

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Individual must take an approved language test to prove their language levels.

To measure their English or French levels, the Canadian Government uses:

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English

• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French

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EDUCATION (Maximum of 25 points)

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25 points:  University degree at the Doctoral (PhD) level 

23 points:  University degree at the Master’s level OR University level entry-to-practice professional degree.

22 points:  Two or more Canadian post-secondary degrees or diplomas (at least one must be for a program of at least three years)

21points:  Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a program of three years or longer

19 points:  Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a two-year program

15 points:  Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a one-year program

5 points:  Canadian high school diploma

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EXPERIENCE (Maximum of 15 points)

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15 points: 6 or more years

13 points: 4-5 years

11 points: 2-3 years

9 points: 1 year or less

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ARRANGED EMPLOYMENT IN CANADA (Maximum of 10 points)

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The individual must get the job offer before you apply to come to Canada as a federal skilled worker.

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10 points:  Valid job offer from a Canadian employer

 

A valid job offer must be:

• continuous (for at least one year)

• paid

• full-time work 

• not seasonal

• in an occupation listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B