Eligibility for the federal skilled worker program:

To have the skilled and experienced workers in the country, the governing authorities of Canada have listed some eligibility for every immigration program. Here the following eligibility criteria help to check whether the federal skilled worker program is for you or not. However, it is worth noting that eligibility criteria may undergo changes so stay updated with the latest changes before proceeding further.

• Candidate must attain a minimum level of education including diplomas or certificates.
• Candidate must score at least 67 points out of 100 comprising all the factors like age, education, working experience, adaptability and more to be eligible to apply under the program.
• Candidate must have an official experience letter for at least one year of full-time salary paid working experience in the relevant job field.
• Candidate’s job profile must be included in any of the three National Occupation Classification (NOC) categories including Skill Type 0 (Managerial Occupations), Skill Level A (Professional Occupations) or Skill Level B (Technical Occupations and Skilled Trades).
• Candidate must be well-versed in reading, writing, listening and speaking in either English or French. Additionally, he/she must pass minimum CLB level for any of the languages.
• Candidate must have enough funds to support him/her and his/her attendants in Canada for some time.

Steps needed to apply for the federal skilled worker program:

The journey from your native land to one of the most lovable immigration land, Canada, comprises some basic steps, which you need to follow systematically.

• Start with checking the eligibility criteria. If you are eligible, make an account on express entry portal. Apply there for Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) and after filling all the details, submit it to CIC.
• Once you’ve submitted the profile, the concerned authorities will rank your profile using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Only the high-scoring applications carry forward and receive the invitation to apply (ITA) for Canada PR visa.
• If your profile is also one of them and receives ITA, then you need to submit medical and police clearance documents.
• At last, you need to submit the application for approval to Canada immigration. Visa officer reviews it, and if he/she approves it, then you can immigrate to Canada.

Processing time for Federal Skilled Worker Program:

In earlier days, the processing time was extended up to 44 months; however, after January 1, 2015, the average time is around six months. The government of Canada has brought up many new changes to speed up the processing time. It means if everything goes well, then you can reach Canada within one year.

Expected processing fees for the Federal Skilled Worker Program:

The government of Canada is all free to change the processing fees anytime without any notice so, take the following information only as a guide.

Applications	Estimated processing fees
Principal applicant	CAD $550
Spouse or common-law partner	CAD $550
Dependent child (below 22 years of age)	CAD $150 per child

Applications	Right of permanent resident fee
Principal applicant	CAD $490
Spouse or common-law partner	CAD $490
Dependent child (below 22 years of age)	No fee

There are six selection factors for Federal skilled worker Program (FSWP). Those factors are mentioned below:

Skilled work experience	(Maximum 15 points)
English and/or French language skills	(Maximum 28 points)
Education	(Maximum 25 points)
Age	(Maximum 10 points)
Arranged employment	(Maximum 10 points)
Adaptability	(Maximum 10 points)

1- Skilled work experience (Maximum 15 points)

Your work experience must be in the same type of job as your primary National Occupational Classification (NOC) and that experience must be within the last ten years. That work must be paid work experience else it will not be considered. Your work experience must be of at least one year continuous.

Also your job and the work you have done in the past must be skill type 0, or level A or B to use Express Entry. That is,

• Skill Type 0 (zero): These jobs are management jobs, like:
  • restaurant managers
  • mine managers
  • shore captains (fishing)
• Skill Level A: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university, like:
  • doctors
  • dentists
  • architects
• Skill Level B: The category includes technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice, like:
  • chefs
  • plumbers
  • electricians
• Skill Level C: This level includes intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training, like:
  • industrial butchers
  • long-haul truck drivers
  • food and beverage servers
• Skill Level D: These jobs include labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training, like:
  • fruit pickers
  • cleaning staff
  • oilfield workers

Canada immigration programs use the NOC to decide if a job or type of work experience meets their eligibility.

You will be given points based on your work experience as mentioned below:

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

2- Language ability (Maximum 28 points)

You need to take an approved language test to show that you meet the requirement for,

• writing
• reading
• listening
• speaking

You must show that you meet the requirements in English or French language that means you must be able to write, listen, speak and read these two languages.

You must get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all the four above mentioned requirements and also update your test result in Express Entry Profile.

3- Education (Maximum 25 points)

If you have gone to a school in Canada in your past, you must have a certificate, a diploma or a degree from a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada.

If you have completed your education in foreign then you must have an educational credential assessment (ECA) report from an approved agency that shows that your education is equivalent to complete certificate, diploma or degree from a secondary or post-secondary school of Canada.

Points will be given according to your educational qualification as below:

Education	Maximum 25 points
University degree at the Doctoral (PhD) level or equal	25
University degree at the Master’s level or equal OR University level entry-to-practice professional degree (or equal). Occupation-related to the degree must be: NOC 2016 Skill Level A, and licensed by a provincial regulatory body	23
Two or more Canadian post-secondary degrees or diplomas or equal (at least one must be for a program of at least three years)	22
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a program of three years or longer, or equal.	21
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a two-year program, or equal.	19
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a one-year program, or equal	15
Canadian high school diploma, or equal	5

4- Age (Maximum 10 points)

As such, there is no age limit for Federal skilled worker Program (FSWP) but there are points that will be given according to your age as mentioned below;

Age	Maximum 12points
18 to 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 above	0

Arranged employment (Maximum 10 points)

Before applying for Canadian immigration under federal skilled worker you must have a full-time job offer of at least one year from a Canadian employer. A valid job offer should be paid, full-time, and continuous for at least one year. It should not be seasonal and should be listed in an occupation listed as skill type 0, skill type A or B of the NOC.

Employment	Maximum10 points
You currently work in Canada on a temporary work permit and your work permit is valid both when you apply and when the visa is issued (or you’re authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) IRCC issued your work permit based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Your employer would’ve applied for the LMIA, which you then had to attach to your application to us you’re working for an employer named on your work permit who has made a permanent job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker	10
You currently work in Canada in a job that is exempt from the LMIA requirement under: an international agreement (such as, the North America Free Trade Agreement) or a federal-provincial agreement and your work permit is valid both when you apply and when the visa is issued (or you’re authorized to work in Canada without a permit when your visa is issued) your current employer has made a permanent job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker	10
You currently don’t: have a work permit, or plan to work in Canada before you get a permanent resident visa OR you’re currently working in Canada and a different employer has offered to give you a permanent full-time job OR you’re currently working in Canada in a job that is exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment, but not under an international or federal-provincial agreement AND an employer has: made you a permanent job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker and a positive LMIA from ESDC	10

Adaptability (Maximum 10 points)

Adaptability is the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions. So in terms of Canadian immigration, it refers to being able to adjust in Canada. You can get a maximum of 10 points for Adaptability as mentioned in the table given below;

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 four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing).	5
Your past study in Canada You finished at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program at least two years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week, and you must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time.	5
Your spouse or partner’s past study in Canada Your spouse or common-law partner finished at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program at least two 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 one year of full-time work in Canada: Ø in a job listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National occupational certification and,Ø 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/partner did at least one 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 under Factor 5: Arranged Employment.	5
Relatives in Canada You, or if it applies, your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative: living in Canada , 18 years or older and a Canadian citizen or permanent residents relative must be, parent , grandparent , child , grandchild , child of a parent (sibling) , child of a grandparent (aunt or uncle) , grandchild of a parent (niece or nephew)	5

We strongly recommend that you visit the following links for detailed information on key aspects of Canada Express entry Program: Express Entry-

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/express-entry/grid-crs.asp

Express Entry Visa Application Process timings
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/

Express Entry - job bank
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/home-eng.do?lang=eng

Express Entry - Provincial Nomination
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/provincial/apply-how-ee.asp

Canada FSW selection Criteria - Point System
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/home-eng.do?lang=eng

Canada Express Entry Eligibility occupation List – 2015
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/find-national-occupation-code.html

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