Federal Skilled Worker
Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program is administered under the Express Entry system and uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank candidates who wish to settle in Canada permanently. Unlike Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, federal skilled workers are not required to have Canadian work experience to enter the Express Entry pool.
Instead, candidates must achieve a minimum score based on factors such as work experience, language proficiency, and education. Once in the pool, applicants with the most competitive CRS scores will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
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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 the candidate meets the requirements listed above, they must also demonstrate that they have scored at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSW Eligible Points Grid.
Provided the applicant meets these requirements, they will be eligible to submit an Express Entry profile for the Federal Skilled Worker program. However, applicants should consider that they must meet Canada’s basic eligibility requirements. Certain criminal offenses and medical conditions may make a person ineligible to enter Canada.
Application Procedure
Interested applicants should submit an Express Entry profile to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Submitting an Express Entry profile does not guarantee that a candidate will obtain permanent residence in Canada. Only after submitting an Express Entry profile will a candidate be awarded a CRS score and be considered for future Express Entry draws for an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
When submitting an Express Entry profile, the FSW applicant will be required to provide the following documents:
- Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA). To qualify for education credits, the FSW candidate must provide a valid ECA report certifying the value of a foreign education by Canadian standards. Canada has five organizations authorized to issue ECA reports. This is not required for educational credentials from a Canadian educational institution.
- Language Proficiency Test Results. All applicants in Express Entry programs must provide results from an approved language test taken within the previous two years. Accepted English tests include the IELTS exam and the CELPIP exam (only available in Canada). Accepted tests for French include the Test d'Evaluation de Français (TEF) and the Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada).
- Identification Documents. Applicants will be required to provide information from identification documents. Ideally, the candidate and all accompanying family members should be in possession of valid travel passports.
How long does it take
The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Express Entry profile will remain valid in the applicant pool for 12 months.
If you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) while in the applicant pool, you will have 60 days to submit your complete 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 Canadian authorities until the permanent residence visa is issued.
Additional factors may affect 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
How do I calculate Federal Skilled Worker points?
To submit a program under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), you must score at least 67 points in the FSW points bracket. To calculate your Federal Skilled Worker score, you can check your score against the table below.
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Education | 25 |
| Language Proficiency | 28 |
| Age | 12 |
| Work Experience | 15 |
| Arranged Employment | 10 |
| Adaptability | 10 |
| Minimum Pass Score | 67 |
Education
| Level of Education | Points |
|---|---|
| Doctoral (PhD) level | 25 |
| Master's level | 23 |
| Two or more post-secondary degrees - at least one for a program of at least 3 years | 22 |
| Post-secondary degree - 3 years or longer | 21 |
| Post-secondary degree - 2 years | 19 |
| Post-secondary degree - 1 year | 15 |
| Secondary school | 5 |
| Maximum | 25 |
Language Proficiency
| Language Proficiency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | IELTS Score | Points | |||
| First Official Language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | |
| CLB 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 pts/ability |
| CLB 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 pts/ability |
| CLB 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 pts/ability |
| Second Official Language (OPTIONAL) | |||||
| *Score must be met in all four abilities | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 points |
| English | CELPIP Score | Points | |||
| CLB 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 pts/ability |
| CLB 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 pts/ability |
| CLB 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 pts/ability |
| Second Official Language (OPTIONAL) | |||||
| *Score must be met in all four abilities | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 points |
| Français | Marque TEF | Points | |||
| Première langue officielle | Expression orale | Compréhension de l'orale | Compréhension de l'écrit | Expression écrite | |
| NCLC 9 | 371+ | 298+ | 248+ | 371+ | 6 pts/compétence |
| NCLC 8 | 349-370 | 280-297 | 233-247 | 349-370 | 5 pts/compétence |
| NCLC 7 | 310-348 | 249-279 | 207-232 | 310-348 | 4 pts/compétence |
| Seconde langue officielle (OPTIONELLE) | |||||
| *vous devez atteindre le seuil minimal dans chacune des quatre compétences linguistiques | 226-371+ | 181-298+ | 151-248+ | 226-371+ | 4 points |
| Français | Marque TCF | Points | |||
| Première langue officielle | Expression orale | Compréhension de l'orale | Compréhension de l'écrit | Expression écrite | |
| NCLC 9 | 14+ | 523+ | 524+ | 14+ | 6 pts/compétence |
| NCLC 8 | 12-13 | 503-522 | 499-523 | 12-13 | 5 pts/compétence |
| NCLC 7 | 10-11 | 458-502 | 453-498 | 10-11 | 4 pts/compétence |
| Seconde langue officielle (OPTIONELLE) | |||||
| *vous devez atteindre le seuil minimal dans chacune des quatre compétences linguistiques | 6+ | 369-397+ | 375-405+ | 6+ | 4 points |
| Maximum | 28 | ||||
Age
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0 |
| 18-35 | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| 39 | 8 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 41 | 6 |
| 42 | 5 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 1 |
| 47 and older | 0 |
| Maximum | 12 |
Work Experience
| Work Experience | Points |
|---|---|
| 6 or more years | 15 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 1 year | 9 |
| Maximum | 15 |
Arranged Employment
| Arranged Employment | P | |
|---|---|---|
| If | And | |
| You currently work in Canada on a temporary work permit. | Your work permit is valid both when you apply and when the visa is issued (or you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) and IRCC issued your work permit based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Your employer would have applied for the LMIA, which you then had to attach to your application to IRCC and You are working for an employer named on your work permit who has made a permanent job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker. | 10 |
| You currently work in Canada in a job that is exempt from the LMIA requirement under an international agreement (such as, the North America Free Trade Agreement) or a federal-provincial agreement. | Your work permit is valid both when you apply and when the visa is issued (or you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) and Your current employer has made a permanent job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker and You have been working for that employer for at least 1 continuous year, full-time or part-time equivalent. | 10 |
| You currently do not have a work permit, or do not plan to work in Canada before you get a permanent resident visa. OR You are currently working in Canada and a different employer has offered to give you a permanent full-time job OR You are currently working in Canada in a job that is exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment, but not under an international or federal-provincial agreement. | An employer has made you a permanent job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker and The employer has a positive Labour Impact Assessment from ESDC | 10 |
| Maximum | 10 | |
Adaptability
| Adaptability | P |
|---|---|
| Your past work in Canada You did at least one year of full-time work in Canada (NOC Skill Type 0, A or B) with a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada. | 10 |
| Your spouse or partner's full-time work in Canada Your spouse or common-law partner did at least one year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada. | 5 |
| Your past study in Canada You finished at least two academic years of full-time (15 hrs/week) study in a program at least two years long at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada, and stayed in good academic standing during that time. | 5 |
| Your spouse or partner's past study in Canada Your spouse or common-law partner finished at least two academic years of full-time (15 hrs/week) study in a program at least two years long at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada, and stayed in good academic standing during that time. | 5 |
| Arranged Employment in Canada You earned points under Factor 5: Arranged Employment | 5 |
| Your spouse or partner's language level Your spouse or common-law partner has a language level in either English or French at CLB 4 level or higher in all four language abilities (IELTS Listening 4.0, Reading 4.5, Writing 3.5, Speaking 4.0) | 5 |
Relatives in Canada
You, or your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative who is living in Canada AND 18 years or older AND a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, either a:
|
5 |
| Maximum | 10 |
faqs
Most Popular Questions
What is foreign work experience?
To be eligible to submit an Express Entry profile, federally qualified workers must have at least one year of overseas full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience. Overseas work experience is any paid work experience gained outside of Canada within the last 10 years.
Experience must be in National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Type A, B, or 0. To determine the skill type of your job, you first need to find your NOC code.
What is the difference between my FSW eligibility points and CRS score?
To apply as a federally skilled worker (FSW), you must earn a minimum of 67 qualifying points. Once you are able to submit an Express Entry profile to the candidate pool, you will be assessed by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and receive a CRS score. All applicants who enter the Express Entry pool receive a CRS score, but only FSW applicants must meet the minimum FSW score.
How do I calculate CRS points for foreign work experience?
CRS scores for work experience abroad are calculated as part of the skill transfer coefficients in combination with the candidate:
- knowledge of the state language
- canadian work experience
Having three or more years of work experience abroad will allow you to qualify for the highest score on these factors. The tables below provide a complete breakdown of CRS scores for overseas work experience.
How do I calculate FSW points for part-time work experience?
Part-time work for Federal Skilled Workers can be calculated one of two ways:
- Combining the total number of hours worked per week in two or more part-time, skilled roles (eg. 15 hrs/week in job A + 15 hrs/week in job B = 30 hrs/week)
- Combining the total hours worked in one part-time job over the period of two or more years (eg. 15 hrs/week for two years = 1 year equivalent of full-time work) 15 hours per week in one part-time job over a period of two years, etc).
All part-time roles must be in NOC skill type A, B, or 0 to be considered toward one’s eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker program.
I have a criminal background or serious medical condition - can I still apply under the FSW program?
If you have a criminal record or serious medical condition, you may be considered inadmissible to Canada and unable to successfully apply under the Federal Skilled Worker program. However, inadmissibility is not necessarily a permanent ban from entering Canada. There are solutions available to help people otherwise considered inadmissible to enter Canada.
Can a Federal Skilled Worker work in Quebec?
According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Federal Skilled Workers are persons who have the intention to become economically established in Canada and reside in a province outside of Quebec.
Is the Federal Skilled Worker program open?
Express Entry draws for Federal Skilled Worker candidates have been paused since December 2020. The Canadian government recently announced that draws targeting federal skilled workers would resume in early July 2022.
That said, FSW candidates may submit a profile at any time. While FSW candidates may not be invited in a federal Express Entry draw until July 2022, provinces continue to invite candidates for the chance to be nominated for permanent residency through Provincial Nominee Programs.
Is there an age limit to apply for under the FSW program?
There is no age limit to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program. However, after the age of 35, candidates will begin to lose points toward the FSW eligibility requirement. After the age of 29, candidates will also lose points toward the age factor of their Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS). For this reason, candidates with lower age points may need to increase their eligibility points and CRS score through other factors.
Can my spouse and children be included in my FSW application?
Individuals applying under the Federal Skilled Worker may include their children and spouse on their application for permanent residence. However, an applicant should consider how their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score may be affected when applying with a spouse.
Can I include my parents on my Federal Skilled Worker application?
Unfortunately, parents cannot be included on an application for permanent residence through the Federal Skilled Worker program. However, after becoming a permanent resident, you may be eligible to sponsor your parents to come to Canada.