Skilled workers are people who are chosen as permanent residents based on their skilled profession and ability to prosper in Canada.

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications are based on the factors set out below:

Basic eligibility

Federal Skilled Worker applicants must have

at least one year of continuous and paid (full-time or an equal amount in part-time) work experience

• in a single occupation,
• within the last 10 years
• at skill type 0, or skill levels A or B

This work experience must be:

• in one of the eligible occupations, or
• part of a valid offer of arranged employment, or
• are an international student who is enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Canada (or who graduated from a Canadian Ph.D. program within the past 12 months)

Note that just because you meet the above eligibility, CIC will still assess your application based on selection factors as outlined below. Just because you are eligible does not mean you will be guaranteed approval. For example, if you meet all other criteria but lack satisfactory settlement funds, an officer will refuse your application.

Selection Factors

Work experience

Your work experience must be:

• for at least one year in the same occupation,
• continuous and paid (full-time or an equal amount part-time),
• within the last 10 years,AND
• skill type 0 (managerial occupations) or
• skill level A (professional occupations) or
• skill level B (technical occupations and skilled trades)

Language Ability

You must meet minimum language levels and include the results of a language test from an agency approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) when you apply, which shows you meet the minimum language requirement of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7.

Education

You must have the following:

• A Canadian diploma, certificate, or credential
• A foreign educational credential and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) by an agency approved by CIC to show it is equal to a completed Canadian secondary or post-secondary educational credential.

Proof of Funds

You must also show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada.

Inadmissibility

Some people may be considered inadmissible based on a number of different reasons, like criminality or medical reasons. If you have inadmissibility, regardless of this or any other application, you may not be able to enter Canada unless this is first dealt with.

Federal Skilled Worker Eligible Occupations

The qualifying occupations are listed by NOC (National Occupational Classification) and are based on the main duties performed. The below list was issued on April 13, 2013, and is a list of all the eligible occupations that you may currently apply for under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

• 0211- Engineering Managers
• 1112 – Financial and Investment Analysts
• 2113 – Geoscientists and Oceanographers
• 2131 – Civil Engineers
• 2132 – Mechanical Engineers
• 2134 – Chemical Engineers
• 2143 – Mining Engineers
• 2144 – Geological Engineers
• 2145 – Petroleum Engineers
• 2146 – Aerospace Engineers
• 2147 – Computer Engineers (except Software Engineers/Designers)
• 2154 – Land Surveyors
• 2174 – Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers
• 2243 – Industrial Instrument Technicians and Mechanics
• 2263 – Inspectors in Public and Environmental Health and Occupational Health and Safety
• 3141 – Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
• 3142 – Physiotherapists
• 3143 – Occupational Therapists
• 3211 – Medical Laboratory Technologists
• 3212 – Medical laboratory Technicians and Pathologists’ Assistants
• 3214 – Respiratory Therapists, Clinical Perfusionists and Cardiopulmonary Technologists
• 3215 – Medical Radiation Technologists
• 3216 – Medical Sonographers
• 3217 – Cardiology Technicians and Electrophysiological Diagnostic Technologists, n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified)

The list is therefore updated on a somewhat regular basis at the discretion of CIC. The list that is currently available is not the same as the previous list and may not be the same as another list that comes out.

If you do not find your occupation on the list, do not disparage it, there are many ways that an individual can come to Canada. Canada has one of the most comprehensive and flexible immigration systems in the world, with a number of options available to you.

If the Federal Skilled Worker Program is not the right match for you, perhaps there is another viable option that will suit your needs.