Most Popular Canada Immigration Program

There are many paths you can take to immigrate to Canada, some simpler or more complex than others. But the Canada immigration program that stands out is the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) for skilled workers.

Canada’s signature immigration program for employees is the Federal Skilled Worker Program, enabling the nation to accept tens of thousands of newcomers each year based on their potential to become established in the workforce of Canada.

The goal of the FSWP is to help highly skilled workers migrate to Canada and to close the existing labor market gap that the country is currently facing. With a steady decline in birth rate, an earlier retirement age and a general shortage of local qualified workers to fill vacancies at the rapid rate of job creation, Canada has had to introduce such programs that are advantageous not only to employers, but also to the employees themselves.

According to the Government of Canada, in the next 3 years, over 1 million immigrants will be admitted. There are more than 70 different visas and immigration programs in Canada, so it can be an overwhelming and difficult task choosing the best immigration program for you. 

After already making the life changing decision of moving your life abroad and starting anew, we’re here to take away that burden, and to help eliminate the hassle and stress out of the process.

There are some very popular programs by applicants, because they follow an easier process and provide a shorter time to receive their Canada visa.

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is one of those, and this is why we will go on to discuss in depth exactly what it is, how it can benefit you and your family, and why it is the most suitable program for Canadian immigration. Then, of course, we will explain how you can take the next steps and make your dream of immigrating to Canada a reality. 

What Is The Federal Skilled Worker Program?

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is designed for foreign nationals with particular academic and professional skills to come work in Canada, with a pathway to permanent residency for the entire family.

To be considered eligible for the FSWP there are 6 selection factors that you will need to meet, which include language proficiency, education, work experience, age, employment and adaptability.

The selection of candidates for the Federal Skilled Worker Program is done through the Express Entry Program. The Express Entry Program is basically the ‘pool and points’ system that Canada’s immigration authorities use to select the most suitable Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates.

To read more about the Express Entry Program and the other available visa options, click here.

The Express Entry Program is an immigration system in Canada that has been helping skilled workers within and outside Canada to become permanent residents of Canada. It is a system that makes it possible to rank applicants, in terms of their age, education, work experience, and language abilities. The system selects the top-ranked candidates from the pool based on their score. Selected candidates receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency. 

Applicants of the Federal Skilled Worker Program accounted for more than half of the approximately 110,000 permanent resident admissions by Express Entry in 2019. 

Some of the benefits of permanent residency include:

• Registering with Canada’s free healthcare system

• Subsidized education for children up to a certain age

• The ability to live, work and study anywhere in Canada

• Building a life in a stable economic and social environment

As if all of this isn’t appealing enough, the Express Entry program applications are usually processed within six months or less. This system allows for one of the fastest processing times, meaning your new life and Canada immigration are closer than you think!

How do I Qualify for The Federal Skilled Worker Program?

In order to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and enter the Express Entry Pool, you must score at least 67 points out of the 100 available on your immigration profile.

As previously explained, Canada immigration uses a points-based system to decide whether you qualify for the PR visa. It’s called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Based on the details you provide, your profile will be ranked on the following criteria:

Age –

In this case, age isn’t just a number – In order to apply you must be above 18 years of age. 

The older you are, the fewer points you will be able to score and once you have reached the age of 47 years you no longer receive any points for your age.

The maximum points available is 12 and it is awarded to those between the ages of 18-35.

Education – 

The Minimum education qualification you must have, must be equal to a higher secondary education in Canada.

The maximum points available for this sector is 23-25 and that is for a Doctorates, Ph.D. or Professional Degree.

Work experience – 

The minimum work experience you must have to apply is one year’s full time work.

The experience must have been paid work (through wages or earned commission); unfortunately, volunteer work or unpaid internships do not count, and only jobs that you have had within the last ten years count towards your points.

The work experience must have been in one of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

1. Managerial jobs (skill type 0)

2. Professional jobs (skill level A)

3. Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

The NOC is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labor market which is used to classify jobs in Canada. You can take a look at it to find your NOC.

Further on in the process, you must show that while working in said job, you performed the duties mentioned in the occupational description in the NOC. 

The points for work experience are calculated by, not only NOC, but also the amount of years and hours you worked.

The maximum amount of points available for Skilled Work Experience is 15 points, and that is awarded for 6 years or more in the same field.

It is also worth bearing in mind that any hours worked over 30 hours a week do not count – so feel free to say “no” to doing overtime!

Language ability – 

You must be able to communicate in at least one of both of Canada’s official languages; French and English, so you must have the minimum marks in language proficiency tests such as IELTS or CLB.

The maximum points available for taking the approved language tests in English or French is 28.

The results are formed by judging your writing, reading, listening and speaking.

Adaptability – 

This sector concludes how well you’re likely to be able to settle into a life in Canada, and the abilities you have to do so.

You can gain easy points to boost your score by answering yes to any of the following questions:

Does your spouse or partner speak French or English? If so, this will earn you 5 points.

Have you ever studied in Canada? If so, this will earn you 5 points.

What has your spouse or partner studied? This will earn you 5 points.

Have you ever worked in Canada (at least 1 year of full-time work in skill type 0 or skill level A or B)? If so, this will earn you 5 points.

Has your spouse or partner in the past worked in Canada (at least 1 year of full-time work in skill type 0 or skill level A or B)? If so, this will earn you 5 points.

Do you have arranged employment in Canada? If so, this will earn you 5 points.

Do you have any relatives living in Canada (they must be either citizens or permanent residents, and be older than 18 years old)? If so, you guessed it… This will earn you 5 points.

The maximum amount of points available for adaptability in total is 10.

Arranged employment –

If you have a legitimate job offer you can receive a maximum of 10 points for this – 10 points is available to you if you can get a full-time job offer for at least a year.

That sums up all of the selection factors. Once you have given all of your information and the sum of your points are concluded, the higher your Express Entry score, the better your chances of gaining an ITA (Invitation To Apply).

For more information on the specifics of the point breakdown requirements you can read more here.

How Can You Apply For The Federal Skilled Worker Program?

Now that we’ve helped you decide that this program is the best option for you to immigrate to Canada, applying for Canada immigration through the FSWP actually requires quite a lot of preparation and organization, it can be quite a complex process. 

The hurdle after calculating your score is to ensure that you have all of the necessary documents ready. You will be required to provide supporting documentation to prove all of the information you have given and more to back up your score and complete your Express Entry profile.

Next, you will need to submit your Express Entry profile. Once you have filled it with all the needed information and documentation required by the Canadian government, your profile will then be entered into Express Entry draws, which usually happen every 2 weeks.

The final step will be to accept your Invitation to Apply for permanent residence! If your score matches or is above the score chosen for the draw then you will be notified that your application was successful.

You then have 60 days to accept the invitation. If you miss the deadline you may have to submit a new profile and start the process all over again.

Don’t worry, you have many opportunities to be accepted. Your Express Entry profile is active for 12 months and every 2 weeks you are automatically entered into the draws.

How We Can Help You?

Navigating your way through the Canadian immigration system can be tedious and very difficult.

There is, what seems like, endless amounts of forms and documents to complete and non-flexible dates you must submit them by.

If you just sighed a sigh of dread, do not fear- that’s what we’re here for. 

We can take the stress and difficulty out of the process of your move to Canada. 

We’re able to use our professional services and our expertise to evaluate your eligibility, review and advise you on all the necessary documentation, and we will submit everything for you- making the entire process simple and stress-free!

If you need any more reason to let us help you click here for more.

All you have to do is contact our immigration agents at Great North Visa, who specialize in every type of Canada visa application. We will be happy to assist you with your application for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and answer any questions you may have.

Click the button below to get in touch!