Federal Skilled Worker Program Requirements

More than 60% of people who wish to immigrate to Canada choose the Federal Skilled Worker program as their route. Canadian immigration experts also suggest that the Federal Skilled Worker program is one of the most sought and direct ways to immigrate to Canada. The reason is that the country is looking for professionals from around the world, people who can not only establish themselves in the country but also work constructively for economic development. Canada experiences a visible shortage of skilled workmen, which is the reason why it has announced such generous programs for immigration. Canadian workers retire every year, but there are not sufficient graduates produced to take their places.

What Are the Requirements for the FSW?

You must have worked for at least one year on a full-time basis to be considered for the Federal Skilled Worker program. Moreover, there are other factors that determine whether you would be able to settle and be able to live independently, without taking any assistance from the government, once you immigrate to Canada.

A more important requirement from Citizenship and Immigration Canada is that you must be working in a profession that falls under their demanded occupations. In other words, you need not only work-ready skills but also the particular skills that they are looking for. This is often the main bottleneck for many people who plan to immigrate to Canada and yet don’t meet the eligibility criteria for the Federal Skilled Worker program. For 2013, Canada has provided a list of 24 occupations that are in demand in the country. To be able to apply for the FSW program, your profession must fall under this list:

You must have one year of continuous, full-time (or an equal amount of part-time) paid work experience in at least one of these occupations within the last ten years:

• 0211 Engineering managers
• 1112 Financial and investment analysts
• 2113 Geoscientists and oceanographers
• 2131 Civil engineers
• 2132 Mechanical engineers
• 2134 Chemical engineers
• 2143 Mining engineers
• 2145 Petroleum engineers
• 2144 Geological 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 technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists

Due to the large number of applications CIC gets, CIC will only consider a limited number of applications per year. Between May 4, 2013, and April 30, 2014, CIC will consider no more than 5,000 complete FSW applications for processing. Within the 5,000 caps, CIC will consider no more than 300 applications per eligible occupation for processing within this same time frame.

This does not apply if you:

• have a valid offer of arranged employment, or
• are applying under the Ph.D. stream (there is a cap of 1,000 applications in this stream from May 4, 2013, to April 30, 2014).

Is my Profession eligible?

It is important to understand that Canada has a well-defined occupation structure, which is commonly known as the NOC. The NOC lists down the complete list of professions rather than profession categories. Your occupation may lie in the list, but it is often confusing to identify. If you are not 100% sure whether you are eligible to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker program, then give us a call. We will advise you if you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

You must Score a Minimum of 67

You must keep in mind that the occupation requirement is a must to be considered under this program. If your occupation is not on the hotlist, then we need to assess your situation and see what other options are available to you.

The government of Canada has always been concerned about how immigrants are going to establish themselves and their families once they move to the country permanently. It takes into account the following factors:

• Your work experience
• Your qualification
• Your Age
• Your abilities in the two official languages of Canada, English and French
• Your adaptability in the new environment of Canada

We can review your matter and then assess your level in each of these areas. The higher the level, the more you will score. You need to score at least 67 (out of 100) to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker program. There are also some other things that may help you increase your score, such as the skills and abilities of your spouse, your relatives in Canada etc.

Benefits of Retaining the Firm

The biggest benefit of referring your case to an immigration consultant is that the person can help you score more in the self-assessment. How is this possible? There are many things that you may not be able to identify yourselves. Moreover, there are some other factors too, which can add to your score. Only an experienced immigration consultant can give you proper insight into how you can reach that 67 benchmarks. If you think that you are a bit low on your scores, it’s important that you take advice from a Canadian immigration consultant without any further delay.

As a licensed firm, we have helped hundreds of our clients to immigrate to Canada. People come with their problems and weaknesses in their cases, and we solidify them, giving them insight into how they can score more in the self-assessment. We also help draft complete applications and, after appending necessary documents, submit them to the immigration office.