Federal Skilled Worker Program

The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program is an economic immigration program of Canada that came under the Express Entry introduced on January 1, 2015. Earlier, only those applicants having specific types of employment backgrounds were allowed to apply for permanent residence in Canada under the FSW program. It meant those candidates whose occupations did not qualify to be one of the prioritized occupations of Canada, could not apply under this program. This prerequisite was also taken away on January 1, 2015.

The first step for applicants to apply for Canadian permanent residence under the program is creating an expression of interest profile with which you enter a pool of prospective applicants.

The Federal Skilled Worker program requires the applicant to meet mandatory eligibility requirements. They include:

• Comply with the minimum language requirement in English or French. You will have to submit the results of an approved language test as a proof of your language proficiency.
• Continuous full-time (30hrs per week) work experience of at least one year, earned within the last 10 years in an occupation that corresponds to Skill level 0, A or B.
• Score at least 67 points on a 100-point grid based on six selection factors.

The six selection factors are:

1. Education: Applicants are awarded a maximum of 25 points for their academic qualifications.
2. Language Proficiency: Applicants may receive a maximum of 28 points under language proficiency. Canada has two official languages–English and French. The applicant can choose either of these as his/her first official language. For proficiency in their first official language, a candidate can earn a maximum of 24 points, and for the second official language, the maximum points awarded is 4. However, the candidate doesn’t need to be proficient in both English and French to apply under the Express Entry Programs.
3. Age: An applicant can earn a maximum of 12 points under the age factor. The points come down for those above the age of 36.
4. Work experience: The applicant shall receive a maximum of 15 points for work experience. Those having full-time skilled work experience of more than six years, earned within the last 10 years, are eligible to receive full 15 points. Choosing the right NOC code for your listed work experience will help you gain maximum points under this selection factor.
5. Arranged Employment: Arranged employment can earn a maximum of 10 points for the applicant. But the candidate must have a skilled, full‐time job offer from a Canadian employer to earn these points. Besides, the employer needs to apply for and obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment.
6. Adaptability: Points are awarded for the various aspects of your background that are likely to make it easy for you to integrate into Canadian society. These include your previous work or study experience in Canada besides having close relatives in the country. The proficiency of your spouse in English or French may also earn you some extra points under this category.

Documents required

The essential list of documents that you may need to apply under the FSW program includes:

• The Educational Credential Assessment
• Approved Language tests
• Employment Reference Letters
• Identity and civil status documents

After submitting the application, you may also have to provide medical examination and police clearance certificates. As these documents have a validity period, it is advisable to apply for these documents only when you are requested to do so.