Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) has been one of the most popular immigration programs.
Skilled worker is a person who can compete and succeed in the country’s knowledge-based economy and has the ability to be self supporting upon the arrival in Canada. In order to qualify, the applicant must score a minimum of 67 points out of the possible 100 points.
As of January of 2015, since the introduction of the Express Entry system, the 2014 accepted occupation list no longer applies and there are no limits on how many applicants are accepted under each occupation.
All applicants must meet the following minimal requirements to apply as a skilled worker:
- You must have at least one year of continuous full-time, paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment
- You must have had this experience within the last 10 years
- Your work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupation Classification (NOC)
What are the selection factors?
Your application to come to Canada as a skilled worker will also be assessed against a point system consisting of six selection factors. The six selection factors are:
| Factor 1 | Education | Maximum 25 points |
|---|---|---|
| Factor 2 | Ability in English and or French | Maximum 28 points |
| Factor 3 | Experience | Maximum 15 points |
| Factor 4 | Age | Maximum 12 points |
| Factor 5 | Arranged employment | Maximum 10 points |
| Factor 6 | Adaptability | Maximum 10 points |
| Total | Maximum 100 points | |
| Pass Mark | 67 points |
Below is a detailed description of all factors that are to be assessed.
Factor 1 – Education
(maximum of 25 points)
Points are awarded for earned educational credentials as well as the number of years offull‑time studies or full‑time equivalent studies. To be awarded points, you must meet both stated criteria.
Full‑time studies: At least 15 hours of instruction per week during the academic year. This includes any period of workplace training that forms part of the course.
Full‑time equivalent studies: If you completed a program of study on a part‑time or accelerated basis, count the length of time it would have taken to complete the program on a full‑time basis.
Use the chart below to determine your points. If you have not completed the number of years of study that correspond to your highest educational credential, award yourself points based on the number of years of study.
| Doctoral level | 25 |
| Master’s level or professional degree | 23 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a three-year or longer post-secondary credential | 22 |
| Three-year or longer post-secondary credential | 21 |
| Two-year post-secondary credential | 19 |
| One-year post-secondary credential | 15 |
| Secondary school (also called high school) | 5 |
Factor 2 – Ability in English and/or French
(maximum of 28 points)
The ability to communicate and work in one or both of Canada’s official languages is very important to you as a skilled worker. Proficiency in English, French or both will help you in the Canadian labour market.
You will be awarded up to 28 points for your basic, moderate or high proficiency in English and French. You will be given points based on your ability to:
- listen
- speak
- read
- write
Proof of language proficiency
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Use the following table to determine how many points you will be awarded for your test scores with the International English Language Testing System (IELTS):
| Level | Points (per ability) | Test results for each ability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Listening | Reading (General Training) | Writing (General Training) | ||
| CLB9 | 6 | Over 6.5 | Over 7.5 | Over 6.5 | Over 6.5 |
| CLB8 | 5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| CLB7 | 4 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CLB6 and lower |
0 (not qualified) |
Less than 6.0 | Less than 6.0 | Less than 6.0 | Less than 6.0 |
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
Use the following table to determine how many points you will be awarded for your test scores with the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP):
| Level | Points (per ability) | Test results for each ability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | ||
| CLB9 | 5-6 | 5-6 | 5-6 | 5-6 | |
| 6 | |||||
| CLB8 | 5 | 4H | 4H | 4H | 4H |
| CLB7 | 4 | 4L | 4L | 4L | 4L |
| CLB6 or lower |
0 (Not qualified) |
3H or lower |
3H or lower |
3H or lower |
3H or lower |
Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)
Use the following table to determine how many points you will be awarded for your test scores with the Test d’évaluation de français (TEF):
| Level | Points (per ability) | Test results for each ability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking (expression orale) | Listening (compré-hension orale) | Reading (compré-hension écrite) | Writing (expression écrite) | ||
| CLB9 | 372+ | 298+ | 248+ | 372+ | |
| 6 | |||||
| CLB8 | 5 | 349-371 | 280-297 | 233-247 | 349-371 |
| CLB7 | 4 | 309 | 248 | 206 | 309 |
| CLB6 or lower |
0 (Not qualified) | 271 or lower | 217 or lower | 181 or lower | 271 or lower |
Second Official Language: Maximum 4 points – CLB 5 in all abilities
Factor 3 – Work experience
(maximum of 15 points)
You will earn points for the number of years you have spent in full-time (37.5 hours per week), paid work.
Minimum work experience requirements
You must meet the following minimum work experience requirements to be eligible to apply as a skilled worker:
- You must have at least one year of full-time, paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time employment.
- Your work experience must be in an occupation of Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B of the Canadian National Occupation Classification (NOC).
- You must have had this experience within the last 10 years.
| Experience | Maximum 15 points |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 9 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 6 or more years | 15 |
Factor 4 – Age
(maximum of 12 points)
Points are given for your age on the date that your complete application is received.
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| 18 to 35 | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| Less one point per year | – |
| 46 | 1 |
| 47 and over | 0 |
Factor 5 – Arranged employment
(maximum of 10 points)
In order to receive points for arranged employment, applicants will need to have a LMO from HRSDC, plus an indeterminate job offer. In some cases, applicants will be LMO exempt and will only require the indeterminate job offer. New measures, including introducing a labour market assessment and genuineness elements in the regulations, are expected to increase program integrity, improve labour market responsiveness, and streamline processing for employers.
Factor 6 – Adaptability
(maximum of 10 points)
| Adaptability criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| Accompanying spouse/partner’s official language (CLB/NCLC 4) |
5 |
| PA Previous Work in Canada (min. 1 yr at NOC 0, A, B) | 10 |
| Or a combination of … (PA or Spouse) Previous study in Canada Previous work in Canada Arranged employment |
5 |
| Relatives in Canada: (18 years or over – PA or Spouse) | 5 |
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One of our licensed immigration consultants can speak with you in person, online or on the phone about your unique immigration situation and give you a breakdown of your options.
