Canada Federal Skilled Workers Program

What is the Federal Skilled Workers Program?

To become a Permanent Resident in Canada, the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) is suitable for skilled workers who have foreign work experience.

This is one of the three immigration programs under Express Entry which is a selection system designed by the government to manage skilled and qualified applicants.

The Government of Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which is the points-based system, to score applicants’ profiles and rank them in the Express Entry pool. Applicants must complete an online profile, and submit an expression of interest before applying for their visa.

Requirements

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores according to main information in applicants’ profiles including age, education, work experience, language proficiency,…, and rank them in the Express Entry pool.
If you want to have an immigration opportunity, you must earn at least 67 points in CRS and get the highest score in the pool.

Selection factors.

To apply for this kind of programs, applicants must satisfy all the minimum requirements based on some factors including:

• Age
• Educational background
• Previous work experience
• Language proficiency in English or French

1. Age range

• If you are under 18 years old, you will get no point
• However, the 18 – 35 age group is the ideal age to immigrate because people will earn 12 points.
• On the other hand, when you are older 35, the more age you have, the less point you gain. For example, 37-year-old people will get 11 points, while people aged 47 and older aren’t able to have any point.

2. Educational background:

• If you studied at Canada school, you have to show a certificate or diploma from Canada organizations such as secondary school, high school or post-secondary school
• If you are foreigners, it is significant to possess a completed credential and an Educational Credential Assessment report from a permitted organization which can prove that your degree is equal to the one in Canada.

So what is an Educational Credential Assessment?

The Canada government uses this assessment which is a report made by an independent company to ensure that your foreign degree, diploma, certificates are acceptable and equal to a Canadian one.

3. Previous work experience

National Occupational Classification (NOC) divided jobs into three groups consisting of :

• Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
• Professional jobs (skill level A)
• Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

Applicants must have skilled work experience which meets the following conditions:

• Must have worked in the same type of job in the NOC system.
• Must have been gained work experience in a paid job, or multiple paid jobs. Therefore, volunteer work or unpaid internships won’t be taken into consideration.
• Must have been within the last 10 years.
• Must have 1560 hours total (30 hours a week) or at least one year of full-time work. However, applicants also have another way to meet this requirement:
  • Full-time job: 30 hours/week for 12 months
  • Part-time job: 15 hours/week for 24 months. Moreover, applicants can work more or less than 15 hours/week provided that it adds up to 1560 hours.

Note that the Canada government doesn’t count any hours you work more than 30 hours/week.

4. Language proficiency in English or French

Taking an approved language test such as CELPIP, IELTS, TEF, is one of the most essential things candidates should do to prove your language ability. The test will assess all four skills including writing, speaking, reading, and listening.

To determine your level, the Canada government uses Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) standards, which is a descriptive scale for English, or Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadien (NCLC) standards for French. Your test results must reach the minimum level for all abilities based on the standards, level 7 for both English and French.

Your language tests expire after 2 years from the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.

If your results will expire before you can apply, you must take the test again or apply before your test results expire. For the reason that when the Canada government realize that your results have expired, they will refuse your application for PR.

How to apply?

To apply for FSWP and become a PR, you should follow these steps:

Step 1: Checking your eligibility

Applicants can consider the requirements mentioned above and ensure that you satisfy the minimum all of them

Step 2: Obtain the documents that you need to create your profile

Before applying for FSWP, you should prepare three types of documents:

• Personal identification papers.
• Language proficiency certificates.
• Education degrees/certificates.

Step 3: Create an Express Entry profile

You must answer some questions which take about 15 minutes so that the government can assess whether you are eligible for Express Entry.

If you pass, you will receive your online account to fill out the EE profile.

Applicants have 60 days to complete and submit your Express Entry profile. On the other hand, you have to begin again.

When you’ve filled out your profile, you can submit it online. The Canadian government classifies which immigration program you’re eligible for under Express Entry.

Step 4: Receive an Invitation to Apply

If you are one of the top applicants, the government will send you an invitation to apply for PR

You should consider some essential data early such as medical examination and police certification so that you could complete the application within 60 days after receiving an ITA.

The application process (an e-application or e-APR – electronic application for permanent residence) will be completed online.

Step 5: Prepare a fully necessary examination such as health and character clearance, other security checks.

After receiving an ITA, you need to upload copies of the documents which you used for your profile. Moreover, your application should be composed of medical exams, police certificates and proof of funds.

With an application, you need to show a medical exam’s result for Canadian immigration which carried out by a panel physician who has been approved by IRCC. Canada will base on this examination to determine whether there are any medical reasons why a person should be denied immigration status in Canada.

Moreover, a police certificate which assessed by the authority detailing a person’s history of criminal offenses is also significant. This certificate will prove that you have no criminal record. However, the application may be refused if there are serious criminal offenses.

When it comes to proof of funds, it means that you must show your affordability for you and your family to settle in Canada, unless you:

• have worked legally in Canada
• have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

All of the things mentioned must be prepared early to submit an application within 60 days of receiving an ITA.

Step 6: Submit an application to the Canada immigration department

After preparing all documents in step 5 carefully, you must submit the e-application within 60 days of receiving an ITA, which also includes detailed work reference letters from previous employers.

Step 7: Your e-application is reviewed

A Canadian immigration officer will review your e-application and assess whether your application is approved or if anything else is required.

Step 8: Receive confirmation of permanent resident status

The process lasts 6 months or less.

When you are accepted, the government might send you a confirmation of permanent resident (COPR) document, which shows your entitlement to live in Canada permanently subject to certain conditions.

An officer at the Canadian port of entry or an IRCC office signs and dates this document when the permanent residence is finally admissible.

Step 9: Get your PR card

When you have your confirmation of status, then applying for your PR card is the most essential thing you should do first. If traveling outside Canada, you may bring this card to prove your status in Canada.

How about the cost?

There is a list of fees that you will have to pay:

• Application fee: 550 CAD for each adult
• Right of permanent residence fee (RPRF): 490 CAD for each adult and 150 CAD for each child. Therefore, your application includes 550 CAD processing fee and 490 CAD right of permanent residence fee might be 1 040 CAD
• PR card: 50 CAD
• PR travel document: 50 CAD
• Biometrics fee: 85 CAD
• Biometrics fee for your family pay for a visitor visa is maximum up to 170 CAD
• Medical exams fees
• Police certificate fees
• Language testing fees

How long would it take?

When applying for FSWP, the processing time lasts approximately 6 months. However, unacceptable applications may get longer.

Documents applicants should prepare

• Passport for travel document
• Digital photos
• Medical exam’s result
• Police certificates
• Employment records
• Language test results ( you should ensure that your result is valid )
• Education degree or diploma, and credential assessment if you want to get points for educational background
• Provincial nomination

Common reasons lead to a rejected application

To apply successfully, you should avoid some situations:

• Forged proof of funds or other documents like R&R letter, marriage certificate,…
• You would be refused when you have medical exam’s results with some serious widespread illness which could be a burden on Canadian healthcare
• Failure to provide a police clearance certificate of all visited countries where you stayed for 180 days or longer or if any of the police clearance is negative.