Studies show that immigration policies focused on highly educated and skilled immigrants have a positive impact because Canadian job-market projections indicate that a significant proportion of new jobs in the future will call for post- secondary education. This includes higher level qualifications in trades as well.
Lower-skilled occupations may develop a surplus. Enabling more higher-educated immigrants to reside longer in the country helps them to perform better and contribute more to the economy.
Figures from the 2016 census reveal that Canada’s labor force is becoming more reliant on better educated immigrants and the employment rates of this group is almost on par with the national average. The study also reports that Canada has the highest population of college graduates among the developed nations and has one of the most highly-trained workforces in the world.
Skills are seen as a key element that make critical contributions to the country’s growth, prosperity and competitiveness.
Keeping these aspects in mind, the Federal Skilled Worker Program was introduced as part of the Express Entry immigration program by Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as a route to achieve permanent residency in Canada.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program
Launched in January, 2015, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is one that enables the selection of high-skilled, experienced candidates to attain permanent residency in Canada. The government has identified 347 occupations as being high demand and the FSWP helps candidates who qualify for these to be fast-tracked into permanent residency.
According to this list, available on the Canadian government immigration website, the occupations that fall under this category include various jobs like legislative/government jobs, senior management jobs, higher level administration and education jobs, professional occupations, supervisory jobs, jobs in engineering and information systems, medical and health care support occupations, arts and culture occupations, construction industry, etc.
Hence, there is a wide range of skilled jobs available under this program. They fall into categories Skill Type O: Management occupations, Skill Type A: Professional occupations, Skill Type B: Technical occupations and skilled trades.
How The Express Entry Process Works
The Express Entry program comprises applications under:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
- Provincial Nominee
All applications for the FSWP category are to be made under the Express Entry system. This is a points based format, and candidates are evaluated on various eligibility factors.
- Applicants must first create an Express Entry profile where you have to provide information about Core Human Capital factors and Skills
Transferability factors like age, educational qualifications, proficiency in Canada’s official languages English and French, work experience, whether immigrating with spouse/common-law partner and their human capital factors. Additional aspects include whether you have a sibling who is a
permanent resident in Canada, have post-secondary educational qualifications in Canada, a valid job offer, provincial nomination etc. - Each of these factors is assigned a range of points. Your final tally is taken as your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score. Your profile is entered into an Express Entry pool and based on your CRS score, you are ranked against other applicants in the pool. A fortnightly draw is held where a certain number of highest ranked candidates are chosen according to the cut-off scores designated for that particular draw. However, candidates will not be able to see their specific ranking or predict the cutoff points.
- On selection, these candidates are offered an ITA (invitation to apply) and on responding positively, and if the documentation is in order, the application will be processed within 6 months.
Eligibility Criteria For FSWP
There are certain minimum requirements prescribed to apply for this program in the areas of skilled work experience, language proficiency and educational qualifications.
Once these conditions are fulfilled, the applicant is evaluated on other factors that make up a 100-point grid. Currently, the cut-off point for selection is 67. Hence, you have to attain at least 67 points to qualify for entry into the Express Entry pool under the FSWP category.
1. Age: must be above 18 years at the time of application. The age band 18-35 gives you the highest points (12) while those above 47 get 0.
2. Educational Qualifications: Those with a foreign educational qualification have to get it evaluated by an Education Certification Assessment (ECA) while those with Canadian educational qualifications don’t require it. Candidates with doctoral degrees get the maximum points (25) while those with a high-school diploma (Canadian or foreign) get 5 points.
3. Work Experience: You should have worked in any one of the Skill Type O, A or B jobs carrying out all the essential duties as prescribed by the NOC for that particular occupation. Work experience should have been paid, full-time (or equivalent part-time) work, for one continuous year, within the last 10 years, in the same type of job used for your immigration application. Work experience carries a maximum of 15 points for 6 years or more of work, with a minimum of 9 points for one year’s experience.
4. Language Proficiency: Candidates have to undergo language tests in English and/or French conducted by approved organizations. Tests are in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Native speakers of these languages have to take the tests too. The scores are converted into Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) points with maximum 9 and minimum threshold 7. Tests results are valid for 2 years and can be taken multiple times to get the best scores.
Other factors include admissibility where the candidate is deemed inadmissible due to security, criminal or medical reasons.
If you are legally permitted to work in Canada or have a valid job offer, this can fetch a maximum of 10 points.
Otherwise you have to show proof of funds to support yourself and your family in Canada. This can range from approximately $12,000 CND for a single person to $32,000+ for a family of 7.
Applicants can live and work anywhere in Canada except Quebec, which has its own set of eligibility requirements. If you plan to immigrate to Quebec you can do so under the relevant Quebec skilled workers programs.
Adaptability is another section where you can gain a maximum of 10 points.
Improving Your Scores
If immigrating with spouse/common-law partner, their language, education will contribute to boosting your scores.
A valid job offer or provincial nomination, though not essential, can improve your rank.
Retake your language tests for better scores.
Don’t wait till you receive an ITA to get your documentation in order and cross- check all the information you provide on your Express Entry profile to avoid misrepresentation. This can help in getting the maximum possible points in each category.
