Moving to a new country can be overwhelming as it involves starting a new life from scratch. Although it can be a fascinating experience, the amount of work it takes can make it challenging. Canada, in particular, receives a lot of immigration requests, which makes the process even more challenging. However, there is a more straightforward way to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Programme offered by Canada’s Express Entry System. This program suits skilled and experienced professionals who wish to move to Canada permanently. The system is designed to provide quick immigration results and help fill Canadian economy labour shortages.

 What is the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is intended for professionals with degrees in specific domains like law, medicine, and accounting. This program allows skilled workers from other countries to settle permanently in Canada, which helps Canada meet its workforce and economic goals. The FSW program uses a 100-point grid system to evaluate applicants based on various criteria. Those who score 67 points or higher are eligible to apply for immigration. The factors assigned include the following-

• Age
• Education
• Arranged Job Offer
• Work Experience
• Adaptability
• Language Proficiency

When did the Federal Skilled Worker program start?

Starting in 1967, this program permits candidates to reside in any Canadian province except Quebec, which has its own PR system. The Federal Skilled Worker program requires applicants to apply through the Express Entry System.

Federal Skilled Worker Program Eligibility

The basic eligibility for applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program is sorted into six categories:

Age- The FSWP prefers candidates within a specific age bracket. The candidates must be old enough to work as a professional but also be young enough to have many years of work ahead of them. 

Candidates between 18-35 get the highest points, and candidates over 47 earn no age points.  

Education- To apply, you must provide valid proof of your degree or diploma. Additionally, applicants must meet the necessary standards for their respective occupations. 

Degrees from outside Canada need an Educational Credential Assessment proving them valid and equal to the same qualification in Canada.

Arranged Job Offer- Already having a valid job offer in Canada makes a considerable difference in the CRS score for the FSWP. The absence of a job offer in no way excludes an applicant from the process, but securing a job gives the candidate a massive advantage. 

A valid offer must be paid, with a minimum requirement of 30 hours per week; it shouldn’t be seasonal employment and should be an offer for at least a year. 

Work Experience- Aside from this, to be considered, the candidate must have at least 1560 hours of work experience or 30 hours per week in the form of a full-time or part-time job. These hours must be in the same job within the last 10 years. 

As full-time workers, these hours must be completed in a single year, and part-time employees can do it in 24 months. It must be a paid job; unpaid internships do not count. 

Adaptability- Adaptability depends on several factors like the candidate and their partner’s language abilities, education/work experience from Canada, arranged employment, relatives already residing there, etc. 

These factors are known as your links to Canada and can add to your CRS Score.

Language Proficiency- It is imperative to have fluency and understanding in at least one of Canada’s two official languages: English and French. To make sure, all the applicants have to sit in a language ability test.

The four language tests recognised by Canada are:

• IELTS
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Programme – CELPIP
• Test d’Evaluation de Francais- TEF
• Test De Connaissance du Francais-TCF. 

All 4 of these are designed to test the respective languages’ reading, writing, listening and speaking abilities.

Last Federal Skilled Workers Program draw cut-off score.

The Canadian Government issued 4800 ITAs in the most recent Express Entry Draw on May 24th. The lowest qualifying score for the round was 488, with a total of 249 invitations issued.

Conclusion

The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) is an essential immigration pathway for skilled individuals seeking to make Canada their permanent home. It aims to attract highly skilled workers who can contribute to the Canadian economy and fill in-demand occupations. By assessing applicants based on factors such as education, work experience, language proficiency, and adaptability, the FSWP ensures that candidates with the most potential for success are selected.