Federal Skilled Worker Class
Foreign skilled workers willing to settle in Canada may apply for a Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) visa. You may move to Canada from Spain via this route provided you meet the visa requirements.
For more information about the FSWC visa, whether you are eligible, how you can apply from Spain, or to receive bespoke advice in your circumstances, call us today on +1 844 290 6312 or contact us online to speak with one of our Canada immigration specialist lawyers.
What Is the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is an immigration pathway to Canada for skilled foreign workers from anywhere in the world. It is part of Canada’s Express Entry system, offering skilled workers with foreign work experience permanent residency in the country. As a Spanish national, you may come to Canada via this route to live and work in the country.
Canada introduced the FSWP in 1967, making it the world’s first points-based system to select immigrant workers. The goal was to evaluate all candidates the same way, based on their age, education levels, language skills, work experience, occupation, and adaptability among other conditions.
The FSWP attracts skilled foreign nationals to fill in various high-demand managerial, professional and technical roles available with Canadian employers, addressing the skills shortage in the domestic workforce. It offers to the foreign migrants:
- Freedom to live and work in Canada
- Access to Canada’s thriving economy, high standard of life, and the job market
- Permanent residence in Canada for the applicant and their eligible family members
- Fast processing times (six months or less) compared to other work visas
- Access to social benefits as a permanent resident, such as healthcare, education and other public services
- Pathway to become a Canadian citizen
- Family sponsorship opportunities as permanent residents
- Recognition of foreign education credentials
- Support for newcomer integration, such as language training, job search assistance, community integration programmes, etc.
- No job offer requirement (although you will score additional points if you have an existing job offer from a Canadian employer when you apply)
Page Contents
- What Is the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
- Who Can Apply for a Federal Skilled Worker Visa?
- Can You Improve Your Eligibility Score?
- Eligibility Requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program
- How to Apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Visa?
- Required Documents for the Federal Class Worker Program
- Processing Time
- Fees
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Can Apply for a Federal Skilled Worker Visa?
A FSWC applicant is usually a foreign skilled worker who has education, training, and work experience to fill in managerial or supervisory roles, or positions that require a college or university degree/diploma or apprentice training. In addition, they must be willing to settle in Canada, and able to integrate into the Canadian job market as well as society.
The FSWP is open to all nationalities in the world, provided the applicants meet the qualifying criteria and are not otherwise considered inadmissible to Canadian territory due to any security, criminal or medical reason(s).
Can You Improve Your Eligibility Score?
It is possible to improve your eligibility score through certain ways, such as:
- By improving your language test score (you may retake the test if you are not satisfied with your score)
- By obtaining a provincial nomination or securing a Canadian job offer before you apply under the FSWP
- By pursuing higher education, especially Canadian qualifications
- By listing your spouse or partner as the principal applicant in case they have a higher CRS score
Eligibility Requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program
The FSWP operates through the Express Entry system, which is an online application management tool used by the Canadian government to select skilled workers for immigration.
The Express Entry system ranks applicants through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). You must meet certain minimum requirements to apply under the FSWP.
Minimum Requirements
The minimum requirements you need to meet to apply under the FSWP are as follows:
- You must have at least one year of continuous, full-time, and paid work experience, totalling to 1,560 hours (30 hours/week), or equal number of hours in part-time role(s), in the past 10 years
- Your work experience must be in one of 370 eligible occupations listed under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system
- Your skilled work experience must be in any of these TEER categories:
- 0 (management occupations)
- 1 (occupations that usually require a university degree)
- 2 (occupations that require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of two or more years, or are supervisory)
- 3 (occupations that require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of less than two years, or more than six months of on-the-job training)
- You must undergo English or French language testing under an approved language test authority, and meet the minimum score in all four abilities (i.e., writing, reading, listening, and speaking) corresponding to the Canadian Language Benchmark of 7)
- You must meet the settlement fund criteria (not applicable if you already have right to work in Canada and have a valid job offer from a Canada-based employer)
- You need to successfully pass security background and medical checks
Comprehensive Ranking System
CRS is a points-based system. It awards points to the FSWP applicants based on six selection factors (including a few core human capital factors):
- Language skills (maximum 28 points): Applicants must score at least 16 points to meet the minimum threshold. Higher language proficiency may lead to a score of up to 24 points, and a further four points for a second official language
- Education (maximum 25 points): Maximum points are awarded to applicants with doctoral degrees in this selection category. Foreign education credentials will be evaluated by a designated third party to determine their Canadian equivalent
- Skilled work experience (maximum 15 points): A minimum of one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation gets nine points. The maximum consideration is six years (15 points)
- Age (maximum 12 points): Applicants in the 18-35 years age group will be awarded 12 points. Each year above 35 will reduce the score by one point, with no points for applicants aged 47 or more
- Arranged employment in Canada (maximum 10 points): A valid employment offer in Canada will help fetch 10 points
- Adaptability (maximum 10 points): Applicants with at least one year of full-time Canadian work experience in a managerial, professional, technical or skilled trade occupation will get maximum points. A valid offer of employment will provide five points. Other factors fetching points under this category include a close adult relative living in Canada, Canadian educational qualification for the applicant or their spouse, spouse’s past work experience in Canada, etc.
You will have to score at least 67 points to be eligible to qualify for the FSWP and can submit a profile to the Express Entry pool (unless you are otherwise inadmissible to Canada). Applicants who score lower than 67 points will not qualify. Please note that these points are different from the points Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will use to rank your profile in the Express Entry pool.
How to Apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Visa?
Once you get a qualifying eligibility score, you must submit an Express Entry profile to IRCC, indicating your expression of interest in obtaining Canadian permanent resident status. Post that, IRCC will process your details and assign you a CRS score. This score will be used to rank your profile in the Express Entry pool.
In the next stage, IRCC will hold rounds of invitations (also known as ‘draws’), and invite those with the highest-ranking CRS score to immigrate to Canada. If you receive your invitation to apply (ITA) from IRCC, you must submit your completed Application for Permanent Residence (APR) to IRCC and pay your fees within the specified deadline.
IRCC will provide you with an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) once they receive your complete application. You will also have to provide your biometrics (i.e., facial image and fingerprints) when IRCC asks you to do so.
After IRCC approves your application, you will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) (as Spain is a visa-exempt country for Canada) to travel to Canada.
Required Documents for the Federal Class Worker Program
The required documents for applying under the FSWP typically include:
- A valid passport
- Proof of skilled work experience
- Birth certificate (or other recognised age proof documents)
- Degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship certification documents from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution if you have studied in Canada. Foreign educated applicants must have a completed educational credential (including elementary and secondary education) and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes
- Language ability test results
- Police clearance certificate
- Medical certificate
- Proof of funds
- Biometrics information
- Proof of fee payment
Please note that the above list is not exhaustive. You may have to submit other supporting documents as asked by IRCC depending on your immigration circumstances.
Processing Time
After you have received an ITA and submitted your complete application, it will typically take around six months or less to process your permanent residence application under the FSWP.
However, please note that this timeline may vary depending on factors like application volume and document verification. Although the Express Entry system streamlines the process and offers faster processing times, IRCC officials may require more time to process your application if they need more documentary evidence in your situation.
Fees
Federal Skilled Worker applicants will need to pay a fee of $CAN 1,525. If you add your spouse or partner to your application, you will have to pay a $CAN 1,525 for them (includes both processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee).
For each dependent child, you will need to pay a fee of $CAN 260.
How Can Total Law Help?
Immigrating to Canada from Spain via the FSWP can be a complicated process, given that IRCC uses several factors to evaluate whether a candidate is eligible for the programme.
The points-based system and invitation ‘draws’ also mean that it is crucial to score as high as possible on CRS, to better your chances of receiving a positive decision on your Canadian permanent residency application through this route. You must also arrange all necessary documentation before you proceed to apply.
Speak to Total Law. We have so far helped several Spanish nationals with their FSWP applications (as well as other types of Canadian permanent residence applications) and settlement in Canada. Our team of sympathetic immigration lawyers have the required expertise to assist you, regardless of your personal circumstances or the complexity of your case.
Whether you are looking for assistance with your FSWP application, unsure of whether you meet the eligibility requirements or how to improve your eligibility score, seeking more advice on how to arrange for the necessary documents to support your permanent residence application, or trying to get overall advice regarding your immigration case, we are here to help you.
To know more about the services we provide and how we can help you, use our online contact form or call us today on +1 844 290 6312.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but the allocation of points under the age category will reduce by one point for each year after 35 years. For people aged 47 or more, no points will be awarded under this factor.
Yes, but they will usually need a work permit.
You may live anywhere in Canada except for the province of Quebec (the province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers). However, if you are a Provincial Nominee, you must settle in the province or territory that nominated you.
