Federal skilled worker program Overview:
From January 1, 2015, Federal Skilled Worker applications are being processed through through the Express Entry immigration selection system for immigration to Canada. Candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program must first make an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada by creating an online Express Entry profile.
Under the Federal skilled worker program new rules, qualified applicants are evaluated against six factors to determine their eligibility for immigration to Canada. Applicants must obtain a total of 67 points out of a possible 100 in order to qualify. The selection factors are:
Education;
Language;
Employment experience;
Age;
Arranged employment;
Adaptability;
The Federal skilled worker program seeks to select candidates with the highest probability of economic settlement success and contribution to Canada. It maintains previous criteria with modification to the relative importance and point structure for each selection factor.
Overall Cap Increased – 25,000 total applications accepted
The maximum number of applications that will be accepted has increased significantly from last year’s program. The new overall cap/maximum for the “eligible occupations stream” will be 25,000. Last year, the cap was 5,000 total. These applications are the last to be accepted under the current program before the new Express Entry program launches in early 2015.
Occupation sub-caps increased 1,000 per occupation
There is also a limit to how many applications can be approved per occupation. The Federal skilled worker program will accept a maximum of 1,000 applications per occupation, more than tripling last year’s 300 per occupation. To determine if the cap has been reached for your occupation, consult this list.
No Job Offer Required
Applicants applying under the Eligible Occupation Stream do not require a Canadian job offer.
New Larger Occupation List – 50 occupations
In order to apply under the Federal skilled worker program eligible Occupation Stream, applicants will need to have the equivalent of at least one year of full-time work experience in an eligible occupation. The list is below with National Occupation Classification (NOC) number on the left.
NEW FEDERAL SKILLED WORKER ELIGIBLE OCCUPATION LIST:
1. NOC 0013 Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services
2. NOC 0015 Senior managers – trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c.
3. NOC 0111 Financial managers
4. NOC 0112 Human resources managers
5. NOC 0113 Purchasing managers
6. NOC 0121 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
7. NOC 0311 Managers in health care
8. NOC 0711 Construction managers
9. NOC 0712 Home building and renovation managers
10. NOC 0811 Managers in natural resources production and fishing
11. NOC 0911 Manufacturing managers
12. NOC 1111 Financial auditors and accountants
13. NOC 1112 Financial and investment analysts
14. NOC 1113 Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers
15. NOC 1114 Other financial officers
16. NOC 1123 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
17. NOC 1212 Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers
18. NOC 1224 Property administrators
19. NOC 2113 Geoscientists and oceanographers
20. NOC 2131 Civil engineers
21. NOC 2132 Mechanical engineers
22. NOC 2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
23. NOC 2145 Petroleum engineers
24. NOC 2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
25. NOC 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
26. NOC 2173 Software engineers and designers
27. NOC 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
28. NOC 2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
29. NOC 2234 Construction estimators
30. NOC 2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
31. NOC 2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
32. NOC 2263 Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety
33. NOC 2281 Computer network technicians
34. NOC 3011 Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
35. NOC 3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
36. NOC 3111 Specialist physicians
37. NOC 3112 General practitioners and family physicians
38. NOC 3132 Dietitians and nutritionists
39. NOC 3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
40. NOC 3142 Physiotherapists
41. NOC 3143 Occupational therapists
42. NOC 3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
43. NOC 3215 Medical radiation technologists
44. NOC 3216 Medical sonographers
45. NOC 3233 Licensed practical nurses
46. NOC 3234 Paramedical occupations
47. NOC 4011 University professors and lecturers
48. NOC 4151 Psychologists
49. NOC 4214 Early childhood educators and assistants
50. NOC 5125 Translators, terminologists and interpreters
Selection Factors:
Education :
The Education Factor is one of the six factors under which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker/Professional applicant will be accepted or refused under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.
Education points are awarded based on an assessment of the applicant’s educational credentials. For any foreign-obtained credentials, this assessment will include a determination of the equivalent to that credential if it were obtained in Canada.
Up to 25 points will be awarded to the applicant under the Education Factor on the following basis:
LEVEL OF EDUCATION | POINTS (25 MAX) |
|---|---|
Doctoral level | 25 points |
Master`s level or professional degree | 23 points |
Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a three-year or longer post-secondary credential | 22 points |
Three-year or longer post-secondary credential | 21 points |
Two-year post-secondary credential | 19 points |
One-year post-seondary credential | 15 points |
Secondary school | 5 points |
Language:
The language skills factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker/Professional applicant will be eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Up to 28 points are awarded under the language skills factor, based upon the applicant’s ability to speak one or both of Canada’s two official languages. Up to 24 points can be awarded for comptenency in a first language (English or French). An additional four points may be awarded for a second language (English or French). The applicant may indicate either the English or French language as the first or second language for the purpose of being assessed under the language skills factor.
All applicants must include Test d’€™Evaluation de Francais (TEF) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) results with their application in order for points in language to be guaranteed. No other method is approved to support language abilities.
Through the chosen exam, applicants must prove that they meet or exceed a minimum threshold in all four language abilities (listening, reading, speaking, writing). This threshold is set at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) as level 7, which is defined as “adequate intermediate proficiency”. Applicants who score below this CLB threshold are not eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker program at this time.
Credits for Language Skills are awarded on the following basis:
PROFICIENCY | LEVEL | POINTS (24 + 4 MAX) |
|---|---|---|
First Official Language | ||
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing | IntermediateIELTS 6.0/6.0/6.0/6.0 | 4 pts |
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing | High intermediateIELTS 6.5/7.5/6.5/6.5 | 5 pts/ability |
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing | AdvancedIELTS 7.0/8.0/7.0/7.0 | 6 pts/ability |
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing | Spouse/partner’s official language (CLB4)IELTS 4.0/4.5/3.5/4.0 | 5 pts/ability |
Maximum | 24 points | |
Second Official Language | ||
Speaking/Listening/Reading/Writing | CLB/NCLC 5 in all abilitiesIELTS 5.0/5.0/4.0/5.0 | 4 points |
Maximum*Listening, reading, speaking, writing | 4 points | |
Work Experience:
The work experience factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Federal Skilled Worker applicant will be accepted or refused under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.
Note, if an applicant obtains zero points under the work experience factor, this score will likely result in an automatic refusal of the application.
Up to 15 points are awarded under the experience factor, based upon the number of years of experience. The application requires a minimum of one year of experience, and points can be earned for up to six years of work experience. This work experience must be acquired in an occupation listed by the government as having a 0, A or B NOC code.
WORK EXPERIENCE | POINTS (15 MAX) |
|---|---|
1 year (Minimum threshold) | 9 points |
2-3 years | 11 points |
4-5 years | 13 points |
6 years or more | 15 points |
Age
The age factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker applicant will be accepted or refused.Up to 12 points will be awarded under the age factor on the following basis:
| AGE OF APPLICANT | POINTS (12 MAX) |
|---|---|
| 18 to 35 | 12 points |
| 36 | 11 points |
| 37 | 10 points |
| 38 | 9 points |
| 39 | 8 points |
| 40 | 7 points |
| 41 | 6 points |
| 42 | 5 points |
| 43 | 4 points |
| 44 | 3 points |
| 45 | 2 points |
| 46 | 1 points |
| 47 and over | 0 points |
Arranged Employment In Canada
An applicant may receive additional points for “Arranged Employment” when a Canadian employer extends an offer of full-time permanent employment in Canada to a foreign skilled worker.
Points can be awarded in a variety of scenarios:
| THE APPLICANT | AND .. | POINTS: |
|---|---|---|
| is currently working in Canada on an LMIA-based work permit and his or her work in Canada is considered “€˜skilled” (NOC 0, A, or B level). |
*At the time the permanent resident visa is issued, the applicant is expected to still hold a valid work permit.
| 10 |
| is currently working in Canada on an LMIA-exempt work permit or a work permit issued under a provincial/territorial agreement. |
*At the time the permanent resident visa is issued, the applicant is expected to still hold a valid work permit.
| 10 |
| does not hold a valid work permit and is not otherwise authorized to work in Canada. |
| 10 |
| holds a valid work permit or is otherwise authorized to work in Canada, but does not fall under one of the two above scenarios. |
| 10 |
IMPORTANT NOTE: Individuals in Canada whose applications are accepted for review under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and whose temporary work permit is due to expire, may be eligible for a Bridging Open Work Permit. This work permit will allow them to stay and work in Canada until a final decision has been made on their immigration application.
An additional 5 points may also be awarded for “Arranged Employment” under the Adaptability factor of the Federal Skilled Worker Program for immigration to Canada.
Adaptability
The adaptability factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Canadian Immigration Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker/Professional applicant will be accepted or refused under the Federal Skilled Worker Class.
A maximum of 10 points can be received for an applicant’s adaptability to establishing themselves in Canada. These 10 points can either come from full-time work in Canada, or a combination of six other possible adaptability factors.
Points are awarded under Adaptability based on qualifications that are expected to improve an applicant’s ability to become economically established in Canada as follows:
| ADAPTABILITY | POINTS (10 MAX) |
|---|---|
| PA previous work in Canada (minimum 1 year NOC 0,A,B) | 10 points |
| Previous study in Canada | 5 points |
| Previous study in Canada – accompanying spouse/partner | 5 points |
| Previous work in Canada – accompanying spouse/partner | 5 points |
| Arranged employment in Canada | 5 points |
| Relative in Canada – 18 years or older | 5 points |
| Language ability CLB 4 or above – accompanying spouse/partner (IELTS 4.0/4.5/3.5/4.0) | 5 points |
Proof of Funds
Proof of Funds Under the Federal Skilled Worker program an applicant must demonstrate sufficient funds to enable him/her to settle in Canada. The funds must be readily transferable to Canada and not be accompanied by debts or other obligations. Applicants that have Arranged Employment need not provide proof of funds.
Number ofFamily Members | Funds Required(in Canadian dollars) |
1 | $11,824 |
2 | $14,720 |
3 | $18,097 |
4 | $21,971 |
5 | $24,920 |
6 | $28,105 |
7 or more | $31,291 |
NOTE: The above funds required table is valid for the 2014 year.
Government Fees The principal applicant and spouse, or common-law partner, must provide full payment of government processing fees ($550 CAD). Accompanying dependants will only be required to pay reduced processing fees ($150 CAD).
Federal Skilled Workers / Professionals Processing Times
Application Processing Times at the Canadian Immigration Visa Offices are based on the latest information available from Canadian Immigration Authorities.
Changes for 2016
The way in which Canadian immigration processing times are published by the government of Canada changed as of January, 2016. Processing times are not currently published per visa office; rather, they are published depending on when the application was submitted.
Federal Skilled Worker Processing Times
TIME/PERIOD WHEN APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED | APPLICATION PROCESSING TIME |
|---|---|
On or after January 1, 2015 | 6 months |
Between June 26, 2010 and December 31, 2014 | 13 months |
Between February 27, 2008 and June 25, 2010 | 67 months |
Before February 27, 2008 | 135 months |
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