📄 Details
Visa Overview
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) is an Express Entry immigration stream for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to become permanent residents of Canada. Selection is based on education, work experience, language skills, and other criteria, with a minimum of 67 points required on the selection factors grid.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must meet minimum requirements in skilled work experience, language ability, and education, then score at least 67 points on the selection factors grid.
Age
- Age is assessed as part of the selection factors grid, with a maximum of 12 points available.
- The official source does not specify a specific age range or upper limit for points allocation.
Work experience
- Your skilled work experience must be in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
- Work experience must have the same NOC as the job you use for your application (your primary occupation).
- You must have performed the actions in the lead statement of the NOC description and most of the main duties listed.
- Work experience must be obtained within the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad.
- Work must be paid (wages or commission); volunteer work or unpaid internships do not count.
- Minimum 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week). You can meet this through full-time or part-time work.
- Part-time work: any number of hours per week, as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. Hours above 30 hours per week are not counted.
- Student work experience may count if paid, continuous, and meeting all other requirements.
Language ability
- You must take approved language tests in English or French.
- Minimum score: CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French for all four abilities: writing, reading, listening, and speaking.
- Language skills are also scored under selection factors (maximum 28 points).
Education
- Canadian education: must have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution.
- Foreign education: must have a completed educational credential and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes.
- Education is scored under selection factors (maximum 25 points).
Minimum score
- Selection factors are assessed out of 100 points: language skills (max 28), education (max 25), skilled work experience (max 15), age (max 12), arranged employment in Canada (max 10), and adaptability (max 10).
- If you score 67 points or higher, you may qualify for FSW and can submit an Express Entry profile.
- If you score lower than 67 points, you do not qualify for the program.
- These points are different from CRS points used to rank profiles in the Express Entry pool.
Financial requirements
- You must show proof of funds sufficient for you and your family to settle in Canada.
- Proof of funds is not required if you are currently legally able to work in Canada and have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
Health and character requirements
- You must be admissible to Canada. Inadmissibility may arise from security, criminal, or medical reasons.
Residence and region requirements
- You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec, as Quebec selects its own skilled workers.
- Work experience gained while living in Quebec may still count, provided you can prove you do not plan to settle there.
- Provincial nominees must settle in the province or territory that nominated them.