Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSW)

Canada launched the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) in 1967 to select immigrants from all over the world. Prior to the introduction of the FSWP, Canada selected skilled worker immigrants subjectively, based on the discretion of individual immigration officers who made a judgment call on whether they thought a candidate could integrate into the Canadian job market.

The Canadian government realized this old approach was problematic and so it introduced the world’s first points system to select immigrants. No longer would Canada use subjective criteria. Instead, it decided to use objective criteria to evaluate all candidates the same way: based on each candidate’s age, education, language skills, work experience, occupation, among other factors.

The benefits of the FSWP

Today, the FSWP is managed through the Express Entry application management system. Under Express Entry, Canada aims to welcome over 110,000 immigrants by 2024. Most successful Express Entry candidates immigrate to Canada through the FSWP. Research by the Canadian government shows that FSWP immigrants go on to have successful and fulfilling careers in Canada.

In addition, pursuing immigration through the FSWP is beneficial since you can gain permanent residence within six months, compared with longer processing times for Canada’s other skilled worker programs.

How the immigration process works with the FSWP:

Canada uses the Express Entry application management system for three skilled worker programs including the FSWP. If you have not lived in Canada before and are not a skilled trades professional, the FSWP will be your best Express Entry option. First, you need to see if you are eligible under the FSWP’s criteria. Then, you submit an Express Entry profile. You will receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on factors such as your age, education, language skills, and work experience. Usually every two weeks, the Canadian government holds Express Entry draws inviting the candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence. After submitting your completed application, you can expect to receive your permanent residence status within six months and then move to Canada.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can pursue immigration to Canada through the FSWP:

Step 1: Find out if you meet the FSWP’s eligibility criteria. CanadaVisa has a free eligibility tool.

Step 2: Submit your Express Entry profile onto the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Step 3: See if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. IRCC holds Express Entry draws approximately every two weeks.

Step 4: If you receive an ITA, you go ahead and submit your completed permanent residence application to IRCC. You can then move to Canada after IRCC completes the processing of your application.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, potential candidates must meet the minimum requirements for work, language ability, education and obtain at least 67 points under the program’s 100-point grid.

 The minimum requirements are:

One year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation classified under the  National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B;

Validated language ability equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French across all abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking); and

Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report.

Get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid. The program’s grid assesses candidates based on factors that include age, education, work experience, arranged employment, language ability, and adaptability.

Meet the settlement funds criteria (if applicable). Candidates may need to demonstrate they have a certain amount of savings to support themselves financially upon arriving to Canada.

Once you are eligible, you can enter the Express Entry pool. Candidate profiles in the Express Entry pool, which also includes Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class candidates, are ranked based on the CRS.