Federal Skilled Worker Class

Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker Program offers a route for skilled workers with overseas work experience to settle permanently in Canada. It also allows you to be joined in Canada by your partner and children (and the children of your spouse).

Canada uses a points-based system for this route. As such, your eligibility for the program is determined by your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This score is calculated on the basis of a range of factors, such as education, language skills, work experience, and adaptability.

Page Contents

• What is the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
• Federal Skilled Worker Program Eligibility
• Family Sponsorship under the Federal Skilled Worker Program
• How do you apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Visa?
• What documents will I need when applying for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
• Cost and processing time for the Federal Skilled Worker Program
• How can our lawyers help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

There are a number of eligibility criteria which you will need to meet when applying for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. In general, this program is intended for workers who have skilled work experience, such as previous experience as a manager or supervisor or in a job that requires a university degree, college diploma, or apprenticeship training.

Based on how well you satisfy the eligibility criteria, you will be given a CRS score. The maximum score which you can achieve is 100 and you must score a minimum of 67 in order to be eligible to apply for this route.

Points are awarded based on the following eligibility criteria:

• Language ability (up to 24 points): you will need to demonstrate sufficient language skills in either English or French, meeting the Canadian language benchmark in writing, reading, listening, and speaking
• Education (up to 25 points):  you will need to have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary education institution or post-secondary education institution (e.g. university), or a foreign equivalent. In the case of a foreign equivalent, you will also need to provide an Educational Credential Assessment
• Skilled work experience (up to 15 points): your previous work experience will need to satisfy numerous eligibility criteria in order to score points, such as being paid and being from within the last 10 years
• Age (up to 12 points): the highest number of points are awarded for applicants aged 18-35
• Arranged employment in Canada (up to 10 points): you can obtain these points if you have a job offer in Canada with a duration of at least 1 year
• Adaptability (up to 10 points): this includes factors such as your partner’s English or French language level, any past studies in Canada by either you or your spouse, previous work in Canada, and close relatives living in Canada with either citizenship status or permanent residence

If your eligibility score is not currently high enough, there are a number of ways in which you can improve it. One way is through retaking the language test in order to achieve a higher score. Another is obtaining a Canadian job offer which satisfies the eligibility criteria or obtaining a provincial nomination.

You will also generally need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while you are living in Canada, unless you have a valid job offer or are already legally permitted to work in Canada.

If you are applying for Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker Program, you will be able to include a number of close family members in your application. Specifically, you can sponsor the following relatives:

• Your spouse or common law partner
• Your dependent child or the dependant child of your spouse or common law partner (provided that the children are no older than 22 years old)
• The dependent children of the dependent children, or the dependent children of the dependent children of your spouse/common law partner

Additionally, if you have a close family member living in Canada who is either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, this can help with your own application. You will be awarded Adaptability Factor points if you or your spouse/common law partner have any of the following relatives in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident:

• Child
• Parent
• Sibling
• Aunt or uncle
• Niece or nephew
• Grandchild
• Grandparents

Before applying, you should make sure to check your eligibility for the programme. Eligibility involves numerous factors and should be verified before you submit your application. Once you have done so, you should create an Express Entry profile on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website and submit your profile to the Express Entry pool. At this stage, you will need to upload the necessary documentation.

Once you have submitted your profile to the Express Entry pool, your CRS score will be generated. If your score meets the minimum requirement, you will be sent an invitation to submit a visa application. You will have 60 days to submit this application.

Once you have completed all of the necessary steps, your application will be processed by an immigration officer. If you are successful, you will receive a confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) document. You can then apply for a permanent residence card.

There are a number of documents which you will require when applying for the Federal Skilled Worker visa, including the following:

• Valid passport (or other relevant travel document)
• Language test results in either French or English
• If you studied at an Australian educational institution, your education certificate and an educational credential assessment
• Written job offer from Canadian employer (if applicable)
• Proof of sufficient funds

The processing time for a Federal Skilled Worker application is generally around 6 months, although this may vary based on factors like how many other applications are simultaneously being processed.

The cost of applying for the Federal Skilled Worker Program is $CAN 1,525. This includes a $CAN 950 processing fee and a $CAN 575 right of permanent residence fee.

You may also choose to pursue legal assistance with your application. Contact Total Law today on +1 844 290 6312 to learn more about our full range of packages and to receive legal advice which is right for you.