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Federal Skilled Worker Program

Launched in January 2015, Express Entry (EE) is an electronic application system for Canada’s Economic Programs:

  1. Canadian Experience Class
  2. Federal Skilled Worker Class
  3. Federal Skilled Trades Class
  4. Select Provincial Nominee Programs

Express Entry gets you faster processing times and makes it easier to obtain a job before you arrive with prospective Canadian employers. For Skilled Workers who have Foreign Work Experience and want to become permanent residents. This is 1/3 of the federal programs that are available through Express Entry.

Minimum Requirements:

  • Skilled Work Experience, Language Ability, Education, Proof of Funds, Admissibility
  • You must meet ALL minimum requirements to be eligible
  • Once all the minimum requirements are met, your application will be assessed based on the 6 selection factors.

Selection Factors

Once ALL minimum requirements are met, your application will be assessed based on:

  • Age
  • Education
  • Work Experience
  • Valid Job Offer
  • English/French Language Skills
  • Adaptability

Selection factors are part of a 100-point grid used to assess eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Applicant must earn 67 Points to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

An applicant must score at least 67 points to become eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

Selection Factors

Points

Level of Education

Language Proficiency

Age

Work Experience

Arranged employment

Adaptability

Points (25 max)

Points (28 max)

Points (12 max)

Points (15 max)

Points (10 max)

Points (10 max)

If you score lower than 67 points, you may be able to improve it by:

  • • improving your language skills
  • • completing another degree, diploma, or certificate
  • • receiving an offer of arranged employment in Canada

An applicant must score at least 67 points to become eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

Selection Factors

Points

Level of Education

Points (25 max)

Language Proficiency

Points (28 max)

Age

Points (12 max)

Work Experience

Points (15 max)

Arranged employment

Points (10 max)

Adaptability

Points (10 max)

If you score lower than 67 points, you may be able to improve it by:

  • • improving your language skills
  • • completing another degree, diploma, or certificate
  • • receiving an offer of arranged employment in Canada

Skilled Work Experience

A skilled worker is someone who has worked in any of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

  • Skill Type O – Managerial Jobs
  • Skill Level A – Professional Jobs
  • Skill Level B – Technical Jobs & Skilled Trades

The applicant must show that their essential work duties in the primary occupation matches with the occupational description in NOC.

The applicants’ skilled work experience must be:

  • in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
  • within the last 10 years
  • paid work (This means you must have been paid wages or earned commission. Volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count) 
  • at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week). You can meet this in a few different ways:
    • full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
    • equal amount in part-time: 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours) 

For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. Any hours you work above 30 hours/week do not count.

Student Work Experience

Work experience gained while you were studying may count towards your minimum requirements if the work:

  • was paid by wages or commissions
  • was continuous (no gaps in employment), and
  • meets all the other requirements of the program

Language Ability

Application must meet the CLB Levels for each language ability.

You must:

  • take approved language tests for:
    1. writing
    2. reading
    3. listening
    4. speaking
  • obtain a minimum score of CLB 7 in all 4 abilities
  • share the test results in your Express Entry profile

Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result and must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.

Education

  • If you went to school in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
    • Secondary school (high school) or
    • Post-secondary institution
  • If you have foreign education, you can get points for:
    1. a completed foreign credential, and
    2. an Educational Credential Assessment report from a designated agency showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
      • Secondary school (high school) or
      • Post-secondary institution

Proof of Funds

Applicant must show that they have enough money for them and their family to settle in Canada, unless:

  • They’re currently able to legally work in Canada
  • Have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer

Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada


*please note these are minimum requirements, additional requirements will vary with each category/program*