Federal Skilled Worker Program

What is the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program?

The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program is one of Canada’s most popular immigration pathways to obtain Canadian permanent residency. What makes FSWP unique is that it allows candidates with foreign work experience and no connections to Canada the opportunity to join a pool of eligible applicants to receive an Invitation To Apply (ITA).

The FSW program allows individuals from around the world to apply for Canadian permanent residency based on a variety of factors which include:

Age
Education
Work experience
English or French language skills
Financial (settlement funds)

The FSW program does not require a job offer to be eligible, nor does it require any Canadian work experience, making it the easiest Canadian immigration pathway for prospective immigrants.

Are you eligible to apply under the FSW program

In order to qualify to apply to the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you need to meet all of the following criteria:

Work Expereince

You have at least one year of continuous, full-time (or an equal amount in part-time), paid, skilled work experience within the last ten years classified under the National Occupation Code (NOC) TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Language Proficiency

You can achieve a minimum score of a CLB or NCLC 7 in all sections of an approved English or French language test.

Education

You have completed a minimum of a Canadian high school diploma equivalent or higher.

Finances (Settlement Funds)

You have the required amount of settlement funds for your family size. (see breakdown below)

You are not inadmissible to Canada

Applicants and their families must meet basic Canadian admissibility requirements. Certain criminal offences and medical conditions may make the applicant inadmissible to Canada.

FSW Points

You can earn a minimum of 67 points based on the Federal Skilled Worker Points System.

Living in Canada

Should have the intention to reside outside the province of Quebec.

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How can I apply to the FSW program?

Applicants who are eligible to apply will submit their FSW profiles online via the Express Entry file management system to the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The Express Entry file management system uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank candidates who wish to settle permanently in Canada. Only after submitting an Express Entry profile will an applicant be assigned a CRS score and be considered in future Express Entry draws for Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence.

When an applicant submits their Express Entry profile they will be required to submit details of the following:

Canadian qualifications or foreign equivalent Education Credential Assessment (ECA)

To claim points for education, an FSW applicant must provide a valid ECA report. There are five organizations in Canada authorized to issue ECA reports. This is not a requirement for qualifications obtained from a Canadian educational institution.

Language proficiency – English or French

All applicants who want to enter the Express Entry program must provide language results from an approved language test taken within the previous two years. Accepted tests for English include the IELTS exam, the CELPIP exam and soon to be available in 2024 the Pearson language exam. Accepted tests for French include the Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF) and the Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada).

Personal identification documents

Applicants will be required to provide details from their identification documents. It is advisable for the applicant and all accompanying family members to have valid passports for travel.

If an applicant successfully receives an ITA they have 60 days to submit their permanent residency application to IRCC. Their application for permanent residency will be submitted electronically online through the applicant’s GCKey portal that was created.

Since the inception of the Express Entry system, the lowest score that has been selected is 75 in 2021 but we dont foresee this happening again.

Settlement Funds

For the FSW program, you will be required to prove that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada unless you are already working in Canada on a valid work permit. This money cannot be borrowed and must be available at the time of application. This money cannot be used for the immigration process and must remain available up until the day you arrive in Canada.

Number of family members	Funds required (in Canadian dollars)
1	$13,757
2	$17,127
3	$21,055
4	$25,564
5	$28,994
6	$32,700
7	$36,407
For each additional family member	$3,706

Number of family members