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Federal Skilled Worker Program

Canada Federal Skilled Worker Key Highlights

Point based selection
Minimum point score required is 67 out of 100
At least one-year work experience
The language score of 7 bands
Education Credential Assessment (ECA) is Important

Overview

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 in 2015 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.

Who is eligible to apply under the FSW program?

In order to qualify for the FSWP, a candidate must meet certain minimum requirements regarding years of experience, level of education, age, and English or French language proficiency:

Work Experience

At least 12-months of continuous, full-time, skilled work experience completed within the previous 10 years (or an equal amount in part-time experience).

Skilled work experience refers to experience classified under NOC Skill Level 0, A, or B.

Language Proficiency

Reach a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 on an approved English or French language test.

Education

A minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or the equivalent in foreign education.

Financial Support

Enough funds to support themselves and any spouse and/or children in their settlement in Canada.

Residence in Canada

Must intend to live outside of the province of Quebec.

If a candidate meets the requirements listed above, they must also demonstrate that they score a minimum of 67 out of 100 points on the FSW eligibility points grid:

Factor	Points
Education	25
Language Proficiency	28
Age	12
Work Experience	15
Arranged Employment	10
Adaptability	10
Minimum Pass Score	67

Factor 1: Educational Qualification (Maximum Points 25)

This is one of the most important factors in the candidate assessment and candidates can score highly to boost their chances. The following list will give you an idea of the scoring system:

Qualification	Points
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-secondary credential	15 Points
Secondary school	5 Points
Secondary school not completed	0 Point

Factor 2: Language Proficiency (Maximum Points 28)

The following list will acquaint you with the score you can obtain in each segment.

Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking	Max Points
8	7	7	7	24
7.5	7	7	7	23
8	6.5	7	6.5	22
8	7	6	6	20
7.5	6.5	6.5	6.5	20
6	6	6	6	16

Factor 3: Age (Maximum Points 12)

Age	Points
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 or more	0

Factor 4: Work Experience (Maximum Points 15)

Experience in years	Points
Six years or more	15 points
Four years	13 points
Two years	11 points
One year	9 points

Factor 5: Arranged Employment (Maximum 10 points)

Arranged Employment	Points
You have a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer, approved by the HRSDC	10 points
You have a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer, without the necessity of HRSDC approval, if you are employed in Canada by the same employer	10 points

Additional Points

If you are immigrating with your spouse, then your application can get extra points if your spouse scores above CLB 4. You will receive 5 additional adaptability points as a principal applicant.

Relative in Canada 18 years or over (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, child of a parent, sibling, child of a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or grandchild of a parent, niece or nephew) who is residing in Canada and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident - 5 Points
Accompanying spouse/partner's official language (CLB/NCLC 4) -5 Points

Factor 6: Adaptability (Maximum 10 points)

Adaptability	Points
Principal Applicant Previous Work in Canada (min. 1 yr at NOC 0, A, B)	10
Accompanying Spouse/Partner Previous Work in Canada	5
Principal Applicant Previous Study in Canada	5
Accompanying Spouse/Partner Previous Study in Canada	5
Arranged Employment	5

Provided a candidate meets these requirements, they will be eligible to submit an Express Entry profile for the Federal Skilled Worker program. However, candidates should note that they must meet Canada’s basic admissibility requirements. Certain criminal offences and medical conditions may make a person inadmissible to Canada.

How can I apply under the FSW program?

Interested candidates must submit an Express Entry profile to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Submitting an Express Entry profile does not guarantee a candidate will receive Canadian permanent residence. Only after submitting an Express Entry profile will a candidate be assigned a CRS score and be considered in future Express Entry draws for Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence.

When submitting your Express Entry profile, an FSW candidate will need to provide the following documents:

Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA)

In order to claim points for education, an FSW candidate must provide a valid ECA report attesting to the value of foreign education by Canadian standards. There are five organizations in Canada authorized to issue ECA reports. This is not required for educational credentials obtained from a Canadian educational institution.

Language Proficiency Test Results

All candidates under the Express Entry programs must provide results from an approved language test taken within the previous two years. Accepted tests for English include the IELTS exam, and the CELPIP exam (only available in Canada). Accepted tests for French include the Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF) and the Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada).

Identification Documents

Candidates will be required to provide information from identification documents. Ideally, a candidate and all accompanying family members should possess passports valid for travel.

If a candidate is successful in receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence, they will move onto the second stage of the application process. In this second stage, the applicant will have 60 days to prepare and submit an electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR). This application requires further documentation.

Since the Express Entry system launched in 2015, the lowest ranking FSW candidate to receive an ITA held a CRS score of 413 points. If an applicant’s CRS score is below this score, they should actively pursue options for improving their score.

How long does it take to process an FSW application?

A Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Express Entry profile will remain valid in the pool of candidates for a period of 12 months.

If, while in the pool of candidates, you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), you will have 60 days to submit a full application and documentation to the Government of Canada.

The standard processing time for Express Entry applications is six months from the time the application is received by the Canadian authorities to the issuance of a permanent residence visa.

Additional factors may affect your processing time, including:

The complexity and/or completeness of your application
The ease with which the officer can confirm the information provided in your application
Adding an additional family member to your application

Am I required to show settlement funds for FSW?

Federal Skilled Workers are required to demonstrate that they can provide for themselves and their families once they settle in Canada.

The funds required for settlement depend on the number of family members included in your application. Please refer to the below table for the amount required for your family size.

Number of Family Members	Funds Required
1	$13,213
2	$16,449
3	$20,222
4	$24,553
5	$27,847
6	$31,407
7	$34,967
For each additional family member	$3,560
Updated	July 15, 2021

For more information on what is accepted as proof of settlement funds, visit our Settlement Funds page.

If you are not able to demonstrate sufficient settlement funds, you can still apply as a Federal Skilled Worker if you first secure an offer of employment from a Canadian company.

What are the processing fees to apply under the FSW program?

The government processing fees must be remitted when submitting an application for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker program. These fees are separate from a candidate’s settlement funds, which must be demonstrated as part of the Federal Skilled Worker eligibility requirements.

The processing fees to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker program are as follows:

Application	Processing fee in $ CAD
Principal applicant (Processing fee and right of permanent residence fee)	$1325
Spouse, common-law or conjugal partner (with right of permanent residence fee)	$1325
A dependent child under the age of 22 who is not a spouse or common-law/conjugal partner, or a dependent over the age of 22 who is unable to support themselves financially due to a physical or mental condition	Add $225 each per dependent

Do I need a job offer to apply under the FSW Program?

A job offer is not required for the Federal Skilled Worker program. In fact, a large majority of candidates invited under the Express Entry system do not have a formal Canadian job offer. That said, having a valid job offer may increase a Federal Skilled Worker’s CRS score by 50-200 points. To qualify for these points, the job offer will likely require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

For more information or to see if you qualify, please make an enquiry with one of our qualified and experienced Migration Consultants.