Federal Skilled Worker

One of the categories under the Express Entry program is the Federal Skilled Worker – FSWC (formerly known as the Federal Skilled Worker Program – FSWP).
If you are a skilled worker with foreign work experience and are looking to immigrate permanently to Canada, you can apply via this Class.

FSWP

Federal Skilled Worker

Every year, Canada welcomes thousands of immigrants who are looking to settle in the country. One of the top programs to become a Canadian permanent resident is the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) which allows you to enter Canada’s workforce.

Federal Skilled Worker

One of the categories under the Express Entry program is the Federal Skilled Worker – FSWC (formerly known as the federal skilled worker program – FSWP). If you are a skilled worker with foreign work experience and are looking to immigrate permanently to Canada, you can apply via this pathway.

What is the Federal Skilled Worker Class?

The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program is one of the programs aligned within Canada’s Express Entry system for processing PR applications. Express Entry programs are highly competitive and used Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank applicants

Who Can Apply For PR Through The Canadian Experience Class?

To be eligible, you must meet the minimum requirements under this Class:

Skilled work experience
Language ability
Education

This requirement expect that you have worked in (1) of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
Professional jobs (skill level A)
Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

For any of these NOC job groups, there would be an occupational description with a lead statement. You must prove that through your work experience that you have performed all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed in the lead statement.

Your skilled work experience must be:

in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (primary occupation).
within the last consecutive 10 years.
paid work ( Volunteer work or unpaid internships do not count).
at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week).
- full-time at 1 or more jobs: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours).
- equal amount in part-time: 15-29 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours).

You must complete language tests in English or French for:
- writing, reading, listening, speaking
You must earn a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities

It is important for you to ensure that your score is valid on the day you apply for permanent residence. Your Language tests are valid for (2) years after the date of the test result.

Whether you studied in Canada or abroad there are certain criteria to be met.

If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian: secondary (high school) or post-secondary school (college, university, trades school)
If you completed your education abroad, you must have:
- a completed credential
- an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an approved agency that shows that your education is equivalent to a completed certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary school.

How is the selection score calculated?

Once ALL the minimum requirements are met, your application will be assessed based on:

age
education
work experience
a valid job offer
English and/or French language skills
adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

A 100-point grid is used to assess eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Class. You earn points based on how well you do in each of the 6 factors. The current pass mark is 67 points.

You will get points for this factor based on your age on the day your application is received.

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

Education points are awarded based on an assessment of your educational credentials. For any foreign-obtained credentials, this assessment will include a determination of the equivalent to that credential if it were obtained in Canada.

You will be awarded under the Education Factor on the following basis:

Level of Education	Points (25 max)
Doctoral (PhD) level	25 points
Master’s level or professional degree. Occupation related to the degree must be: NOC 2016 Skill Level A, and licensed by a provincial regulatory body Also, Degree Class must be in one of the following academic disciplines: Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Podiatry, Optometry, Law, Chiropractic Medicine, or Pharmacy.	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

Under this factor up to 15 points are awarded, based on the number of years of work experience.

You require at least 12 months of full-time skilled work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work), and points can be earned for up to six years of work experience. The work experience must be an occupation listed by the Government of Canada as having a 0, A, or B NOC code (National Occupational Classification).

Points will be awarded on the following basis:

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

You may earn a maximum of 15 points under this factor (‘Arranged Employment’) if a Canadian employer extends you an offer of full-time permanent employment in Canada.

If you meet one of the following conditions you may earn a maximum of 10 points under the Arranged Employment.

Scenarios			Points
If the applicant is currently working in Canada on a work permit,	and	The work permit is valid both when applying and when the permanent resident visa is issued (or the applicant is allowed to work in Canada without a work permit when his or her visa is issued). The work permit is based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada in an occupation listed under skill type 0 or skill level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The applicant is working for an employer named on his or her work permit. That employer has made a valid job offer based on the applicant being accepted as a skilled worker.	10
If the applicant is currently working in Canada in a job that is LMIA-exempt because of the following: an international agreement (such as, the North American Free Trade Agreement) or significant benefit to Canadian interests or a federal-provincial agreement	and	The work permit is valid both when applying and when the permanent resident visa is issued (or the applicant is allowed to work in Canada without a permit when the permanent resident visa is issued). The applicant’s current employer has made a valid job offer based on the applicant being accepted as a skilled worker. The applicant is currently working for the employer specified on his or her work permit. The applicant has been working for that employer for at least 1 year, continuous full-time or part-time equivalent.	10
If the applicant does not hold a valid work permit and is not authorized to work in Canada.	and	A prospective employer has made a valid permanent, full-time skilled job offer to the applicant; and The offer of employment has received a positive LMIA	10
If the applicant holds a valid work permit or is otherwise authorized to work in Canada without a work permit	and	The applicant is currently working in Canada in a job that is LMIA-exempt, but is not under an international, federal-provincial agreement or because of significant benefit to Canadian interests; and A prospective employer other than the one the applicant is currently working for has a positive LMIA and has made a a valid job offer to the applicant based on that LMIA and on the applicant being accepted as a skilled worker.	10

In Canada, there are 2 official languages, English and French. It is important that you are able to communicate in 1 or both languages that will help you in the Canadian job market.

You will have to complete an approved language test to prove your language level. This will get you up to 28 points for your language skills (English, French).

Language levels are measured using the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English and Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French

A minimum of CLB 7 or NCLC 7 is required for 1 official language in all language areas (reading, writing, speaking, listening). For you to get points for the second official language, you will need a minimum of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in all language areas.

First official language (maximum 24 points)

Check the table below and add the points that match your skill level:

Points
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 (maximum 4 points)

You can get 4 points only if you have a score of at least CLB 5 in each of the 4 language abilities.

Second official language	Points
At least CLB 5 in all of the 4 abilities	4
CLB 4 or less in any of the 4 abilities	0

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 Class 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 Class 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 Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). 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 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)

How Can one apply through the Federal Skilled Worker Class?

Now that you meet all the requirements for Federal Skilled Worker , you must submit a profile to the Express Entry pool. IRCC uses a different system to rank your profile once you are in the Express Entry pool.

If you receive an invitation to Apply (ITA) based on your score within the threshold, you need to:

Get the application Package
Pay for the fees
Submit your application

The application package includes a guide and document checklist that will help guide you to filling the forms correctly. Ensure that you gather all the supporting information listed in the Document Checklist. You have 60 days to include all the forms, information, documents, signatures, language test results, and fees.

Here is what the fees you are paying will include when applying through Federal Skilled Worker Class

processing fees for you and anyone you include on your application
the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)
biometrics
third-party fees (medical exam, Police Certificates, Language Testing)

Here is a checklist to look at to ensure you have completed your application:

all questions are answered
the application and all forms have been signed
Processing fees have been paid, and a copy of the receipt is attached to your application
all supporting documents are included

How We Use Selection Factor Points

Selection factor points are used to determine your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

To qualify, your application is assessed based on six key selection factors: age, education, work experience, language skills (in English or French), arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability. Each factor contributes a certain number of points, adding up to a possible 100 points.

You need a minimum of 67 points to be eligible for the FSWP. Once you meet the minimum score, you can enter the Express Entry pool, where a different ranking system is used to evaluate candidates and invite the highest-ranking individuals to apply for permanent residence.

Who Can Apply as a Federal Skilled Worker: Six Selection Factors

To qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, applicants are assessed based on six selection factors: age, education, work experience, language skills, arranged employment, and adaptability.

These factors help determine the applicant’s ability to economically establish themselves in Canada.

Points are assigned for each factor, and applicants must score at least 67 points out of a possible 100 to be eligible. Age can earn you up to 12 points, while education can provide up to 25 points, depending on your level of qualification.

Language skills in either English or French can earn you up to 28 points, based on test scores in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Work experience is valued up to 15 points, depending on the number of years worked in a skilled position. If you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, you can gain up to 10 points.

Finally, adaptability, which includes factors like your spouse’s language ability or previous work or study in Canada, can give you up to 10 points, making your chances of settling successfully in Canada even higher.

Suppose you meet the criteria and have a good total score. In that case, you may be invited to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system, which manages all skilled worker applications.

Finding Your National Occupational Classification

Finding your National Occupational Classification (NOC) code is an important step when applying for Canadian immigration, such as through the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

The NOC is essentially a standardized framework used to classify all occupations in the Canadian labor market, based on duties, skills, education, and work settings.

To find your NOC, you should search using your job title or specific keywords on the official NOC website, and match your job duties with those listed for a particular NOC code.

It’s important to choose the NOC code that best reflects your experience, as this is crucial for calculating points and determining eligibility under Express Entry.

The NOC system was recently updated to the 2021 version, introducing a new categorization called TEER (Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities) to better reflect the requirements of each occupation, and it now uses a five-digit code structure instead of the old four-digit one.

This makes it easier to accurately categorize and group occupations based on their nature and requirements (Canada.ca, NOC 2021).

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Federal Skilled Worker

Federal Skilled Worker