Federal Skilled
Worker Program (FSWP)
Foreign professionals with commendable skills and compensated work experience of a minimum of one year within the past decade in a qualifying profession may apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program or FSWP. The FSWP is a Canadian visa program that determines eligibility primarily using a system of points which are received for six selection factors.
The points are earned for factors such as age, adaptability, professional experience, educational attainment, English or French language proficiency, and a sound job offer in Canada. There are a total of 100 points possible, with 67 being the minimum allowable number of points to be able to apply for Express Entry immigration to Canada.
Permission to live, work, and study in Canada is granted upon applicants, as well as their family members, who qualify and gain approval for Express Entry into Canada through the FSWP. Furthermore, permission is effective for an infinite timeframe, and there are several other benefits such as free healthcare.
General Requirements
The requirements to qualify for Express Entry immigration to Canada are as follows:
- Professional experience in an occupation that is eligible for the FSWP
- Gaining a minimum of 67 points out of a total of 100 points for the following factors: age, adaptability, professional experience, educational attainment, English or French language proficiency, and a sound job offer in Canada
- Provision of the necessary supporting documents that will convey the satisfaction of the FSWP criteria, including goodness of health, of character, and financial capability of providing support for oneself and any accompanying family
- Payment of government fees like the Canadian Visa Application Fee, and other fees such as the Educational Credential Assessment Fee, etc.
- Other requirements
The accomplishment of an online Express Entry profile is the first step in applying for immigration to Canada through the FSWP.
Work Experience
As aforementioned, it is necessary to have work experience that must be no less than a year in length, full-time, compensated, and during the timeframe of the previous 10 years.
It also matters that the work experience is in an eligible occupation. Canada’s 2016 National Occupational Classification, otherwise known as the NOC, categorizes the eligible occupations as follows:
- Management Jobs:
Management jobs include many different kinds of managerial occupations. These jobs in Canada have the classification of Skill Type 0 in the NOC. Some examples include financial managers, human resource managers, construction managers, and transportation managers.
- Professional Jobs:
This category is much wider in scope, consisting of jobs that require a university degree and that are classified as Skill Level A. Some examples of these jobs in Canada include accountants, engineers, architects, physicians, and educators.
- Skilled Trades and Technical Jobs:
This category includes skilled trades and technical jobs requiring post-secondary educational attainment or training. These jobs in Canada are classified as Skill Level B. Some examples of these jobs are aircraft mechanics, chefs, crane operators, machinists, medical technicians, and welders.
Minimum Points
FSWP applicants must have at least 67 points out of a total of 100 points. These points will reflect on the six factors as enumerated:
- English and French language proficiency
There are 28 points possible for this factor.
- Educational Background
There are 25 points possible for this factor.
- Professional experience in a qualifying occupation
There are 15 points possible for this factor.
- Age
There are 12 points possible for this factor.
- Valid job offer in Canada
The job offer must be for full-time work that will last for no less than a year.
The occupation must be categorized by the NOC as either Skill Type 0, Skill Level A, or Skill Level B.
There are 10 points possible for this factor.
- Adaptability
Applicants may be given points for a variety of reasons. They may receive points for the English and French language proficiency of their spouses or partners. They may receive points for their prior studies in Canada or those of their spouses or partners. Prior work experience by the applicants or their spouses or partners in Canada can grant applicants points. Having arranged employment in the country also gives points. Lastly, applicants or their spouses or partners who have family currently living in Canada may receive points.
There are 10 points maximum that can be received for the Adaptability factor.
Supporting Documents
Much like any program, there are supporting documents that need to be provided to demonstrate qualifying factors. Allowable scores that are no more than two years old from authorized language evaluation exams, like the International English Language Testing System or IELTS and the Test d’Evaluation de Français Canada or TEF, will be necessary to exhibit skills in reading, communicating, comprehension, and writing in English and French.
A good Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) may also be required, to demonstrate that the applicant has an educational background of similar quality to that which is received in Canada.
Proof of good health, which involves a medical examination, will be required of the applicant and accompanying family members. Proof of good character, which may include police certificates, is likewise required.
The applicant may also need to provide proof of funds to exhibit the financial capability to support oneself and any accompanying family members while living in Canada.
Fees
There are fees to be paid by the applicants at different stages of the process of immigration to Canada. For example, the Canadian Visa Application Fee is paid following the applicant’s receipt of an Invitation to Apply. Should the applicant, through the FSWP, gain approval for Express Entry immigration to Canada, they will have to pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee and the Permanent Resident Card Fee. The Permanent Resident Card will be evidence of the successful applicant’s status as a Canadian permanent resident. Also, the card will serve as a proper form of identification while living in Canada. Aside from government fees, applicants will also have to pay to take the language evaluation examinations like the IELTS and the TEF. Furthermore, payment will be made for the Educational Credential Assessment, medical examinations, police certificates, etc.
Application Process
The process starts with the filing of an online Express Entry profile with the Canadian immigration agency. Satisfactory scores on language evaluation examinations like the IELTS or the TEF which are no more than two years old, plus a commendatory
Education Credential Assessment, will normally be required of applicants in the filing of their online Express Entry profiles.
A review made by a Canadian immigration official of the information provided will follow the filing of the online Express Entry profile. Qualifying applicants will be put into the Express Entry pool of candidates. Applicants chosen to receive the Invitation to Apply for a Canadian visa are chosen for one of the following reasons:
- Having one of the highest scores in the Comprehensive Ranking System among the pool of candidates for Express Entry; or
- Receiving a sound job offer in Canada, which often requires a Labor Market Impact Assessment; or
- Nomination for Canadian immigration through the Provincial Nominee Program.
Applicants are given a total of 60 days to send their applications for the Canadian visa plus the fee and necessary supporting documents upon the issuance of the ITA. Applicants normally receive the decision about Express Entry immigration to Canada within a timeframe of six months, counting from right after the submission of a duly prepared application for a Canadian visa.
Approved applicants will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Additionally, they will have their valid passports stamped with a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada. These documents will be sought at the port of entry when the applicants immigrate to Canada as permanent residents.
Permanent Resident Benefits
Canada is a multicultural country, a friendly place for immigrants, and one of the most peaceful countries in the world, all of which makes it is a highly desirable destination for immigrants.
Canadian permanent residents get to experience benefits and advantages such as permission to live in the country for an infinite length of time, legal right to work in Canada, the ability to partake in Canadian educational programs, free public healthcare, permission to leave and come back to Canada, open a Canadian bank account, apply for a driver’s license, Canadian business opportunities, home purchasing opportunities, Canadian visa sponsorship for qualified family members, and ease of access to Canada’s breathtaking scenery.
To top it all off, Canadian citizenship will be available after 3 years of living in Canada as a permanent resident as well as meeting other requirements.
Immigrate to Canada!
Canada is a great place to immigrate to for the reasons discussed above and more. The mix of cultures, the friendly attitude towards immigrants, the value of peace, and the opportunities that await are more than enough to inspire skilled foreign professionals to give this beautiful country a try.
There is a program for every type of aspiring immigrant, and the Federal Skilled Worker Program is just one of them. Canada is always looking for skilled workers to help better the economy.
To learn if you qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, click here!
