Federal Skilled Worker Program

Immigration Consultants in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Canadian Immigration Council is one of the oldest, and most reputable Canadian immigration consulting firms, specializing in Canadian immigration law, and is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Our practice specializes in all areas of immigration law, including work permit applications, student visa applications, permanent resident applications, landed immigrant applications and Canadian citizenship applications. We also provide a full range of immigration litigation services via our network of immigration professionals which include regulated immigration consultants, accountants, lawyers, paralegals,  business advisors  and other specialists in a variety of fields.

It is noteworthy to mention, that the Canadian Immigration Council, has been voted #1 immigration Consulting firm by the prestigious Leger & Leger group for three consecutive years, for providing exceptional immigration services, and for helping potential immigrants worldwide to achieve their dreams of immigrating to Canada.

Canada Federal Skilled Worker Immigration

Since June 2009, the Federal Skilled Worker category is restricted to those who                    

1. Have 1 year of full time continuous work experience in an occupation specified on the NOC Occupations List OR
2. Have an arranged employment offer from a Canadian employer

In addition to the above requirement, an application will be assessed by taking into consideration an applicant’s

1. Education;
2. English and/or French abilities;
3. Work experience;
4. Age;
5. If you are married, your spouse’s education;
6. Previous work or study in Canada;
7. Close relatives in Canada.

It should be noted that the Government has also introduced a cap of 10,000 new applicants per year (500 maximum on each occupation) for applications that can be processed under the Eligible Occupations list. This cap does not apply to those applying under the arranged employment program.

Immigrating to Canada under the Federal Skilled Workers Program

Canada has a great need for skilled foreign professionals and temporary foreign workers. Thousands of those who immigrate to Canada each year are from this category, as the Canadian government can accept an application for permanent resident status from workers who have the skills required in order to succeed in Canada due to labour shortages.

Those who wish to immigrate and qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker category must achieve a minimum score based on a point system. Because the requirements under this program are complicated, diligence must be applied while completing an application to enter Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker Immigration Program.

Because the rules can frequently be revised, the application for entry may need professional help. Only authorized immigration consultants, lawyers, Québec notaries, and paralegals regulated by a law society are people who can offer immigration advice to applicants.

Rules for immigration using the Canada Federal Skilled Worker Program

A Federal Skilled Worker application is assessed based on the ability of an immigrant to become economically established when they immigrate to Canada.

For an applicant to qualify for a Permanent Resident Visa under CIC Canadian immigration rules, a Federal Skilled Worker applicant must:

• Qualify for Arranged Employment from a Canadian employer with a full time permanent job offer; or
• Have at least one year of continuous full time paid work experience or equivalent in the last 10 years in one of the 29 qualifying occupations; or
• Have completed a PhD in Canada, or have completed two years of study in Canada towards obtaining a PhD, at a recognized institution in both cases.

Furthermore, a Canada Federal Skilled Worker applicant must obtain a total of at least 67 points based on Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) immigration selection criteria in addition to having at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid skilled workers experience in the last 10 years.

The selection criteria to immigrate under this program are:

• Education of the immigrant: up to 25 points.
• Language Skills of the immigrant: up to 24 points.
• Work Experience of the immigrant: up to 21 points for paid skilled worker experience acquired during the last 10 years. Minimum 15 points required.
• Age of the immigrant: up to 10 points.
• Arranged Employment of the immigrant: up to 10 points.
• Adaptability of the immigrant: up to 10 points.

In addition to meeting the above criteria, an applicant must show that they have sufficient settlement funds in order to support themselves and their dependants after arriving in Canada. Applicants as well as their dependants must also undergo security clearances and medical examinations as part of the application process to CIC.

Total Number of Applications processed to this day

There is a cap to the number of Federal Skilled Worker applications that undergo processing per year by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). 

Processing Time

The Federal Skilled Worker Processing Time varies from one Canadian Immigration Visa office to the other.

Processing Fees

The Federal Skilled Worker Processing Fees vary with exchange rates.

Canada Federal Skilled Worker Immigration Requirements 

In order to apply under the ‘’Skilled Worker’’ immigration program in Canada, skilled worker experience refers to the following categories which are defined by the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC):

• Skill Level A: Professional Occupations
• Skill Level B: Technical Occupations and Skilled Trades
• Skill Type O: Managerial Occupations

There is also a Temporary Foreign Worker Program available in Canada. If your company needs to bring in a number of temporary foreign worker applicants from overseas or if you, as a temporary foreign worker, seek approval to work in Canada, the Canadian Immigration Council can help. We have expertise in handling temporary foreign worker applicants and know the requirements when processing such an application.