The FSWP was the world's first program to evaluate immigration candidates objectively. Today, the FSWP is among the three skilled worker programs managed by Canada's Express Entry system. This comprehensive CanadaVisa page outlines what you need to know about the FSWP.
Table of Contents
Overview
- Canada launched the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) in 1967 to select immigrants from all over the world. Prior to the introduction of the FSWP, Canada selected skilled worker immigrants subjectively, based on the discretion of individual immigration officers who made a judgment call on whether they thought a candidate could integrate into the Canadian job market.
- The Canadian government realized this old approach was problematic and so it introduced the world’s first points system to select immigrants. No longer would Canada use subjective criteria. Instead, it decided to use objective criteria to evaluate all candidates the same way: based on each candidate’s age, education, language skills, work experience, occupation, among other factors.
The benefits of the FSWP
- Today, the FSWP is managed through the Express Entryapplication management system. Under Express Entry, Canada aims to welcome over 110,000 immigrants by 2024. Most successful Express Entry candidates immigrate to Canada through the FSWP. Research by the Canadian government shows that FSWP immigrants go on to have successful and fulfilling careers in Canada.
- In addition, pursuing immigration through the FSWP is beneficial since you can gain permanent residence within six months, compared with longer processing times for Canada’s other skilled worker programs.
How the immigration process works with the FSWP:
- Canada uses the Express Entry application management system for three skilled worker programs including the FSWP. If you have not lived in Canada before and are not a skilled trades professional, the FSWP will be your best Express Entry option. First, you need to see if you are eligible under the FSWP’s criteria. Then, you submit an Express Entry profile. You will receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scorebased on factors such as your age, education, language skills, and work experience. Usually every two weeks, the Canadian government holds Express Entry draws inviting the candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence. After submitting your completed application, you can expect to receive your permanent residence status within six months and then move to Canada.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can pursue immigration to Canada through the FSWP:
- Step 1: Find out if you meet the FSWP’s eligibility criteria. Clynx Immigration has a free eligibility tool.
- Step 2:Submit your Express Entry profile onto the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- Step 3:See if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. IRCC holds Express Entry draws approximately every two weeks.
- Step 4:If you receive an ITA, you go ahead and submit your completed permanent residence application to IRCC. You can then move to Canada after IRCC completes the processing of your application.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, potential candidates must meet the minimum requirements for work, language ability, education and obtain at least 67 points under the program’s 100-point grid.
The minimum requirements are:
- One year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER categories:
- TEER 0
- TEER 1
- TEER 2
- TEER 3
- Validated language ability equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French across all abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking); and
- Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report.
- Get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid. The program’s grid assesses candidates based on factors that include age, education, work experience, arranged employment, language ability, and adaptability.
- Meet the settlement funds criteria (if applicable). Candidates may need to demonstrate they have a certain amount of savings to support themselves financially upon arriving to Canada.
Once you are eligible, you can enter the Express Entry pool. Candidate profiles in the Express Entry pool, which also includes Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class candidates, are ranked based on the CRS.
Selection Factors
The FSWP’s selection factors are listed below.
| Factors | Points |
| Education | Up to 25 points |
| Language Skills | Up to 28 points |
| Work Experience | Up to 15 points |
| Age | Up to 12 points |
| Arranged Employment | Up to 10 points |
| Adaptability | Up to 10 points |
Education
If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
If you have foreign education, you must have:
- a completed credential, and
- an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
Skilled work experience
Skilled work experience means that you’ve worked in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER categories:
- TEER 0
- TEER 1
- TEER 2
- TEER 3
You must show that while working in your primary occupation, you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
Your skilled work experience must be
- in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
- within the last 10 years
- paid work (have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)
- at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)—you can meet this in a few different ways:
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement
- full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
Part-time work experience
Your skilled work experience must be paid work including paid wages or earned commission. We don’t count volunteer work or unpaid internships.
For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply.
We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.
Student work experience
Work experience gained while you were studying may count towards your minimum requirements if the work:
- was paid by wages or commissions
- was continuous (no gaps in employment), and
- meets all the other requirements of the Program
- are currently able to legally work in Canada
- have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada
Age (maximum 12 points)
The age factor is one of the six factors for which points are awarded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Officers in determining whether a Skilled Worker applicant will be accepted or refused.
| Age of Applicant | Points (12 max) |
| 18 to 35 | 12 points |
| 36 | 11 points |
| 37 | 10 points |
| 38 | 9 points |
| 39 | 8 points |
| 40 | 7 points |
| 41 | 6 points |
| 42 | 5 points |
| 43 | 4 points |
| 44 | 3 points |
| 45 | 2 points |
| 46 | 1 points |
| 47 and over | 0 points |
Language Skills
- A maximum of 28 points may be are awarded under this factor, based on a principal applicant’s ability to speak one or both of Canada’s two official languages: English and French.
- Up to 24 points can be awarded for the applicant’s proficiency in a first language (English or French). An additional four points may be awarded for the applicant’s proficiency in a second language (English or French).
- The applicant may indicate either English or French language as the first or second language when applying to the program.
The minimum threshold is based on Canada’s national standards for measuring an individual’s language proficiency, known as the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). The minimum threshold set for the Federal Skilled Worker Program is CLB level 7, which is defined as “adequate intermediate proficiency”.
All applicants must include test results with their application in order to claim points under the language skills selection factor. To support language abilities, applicants must include test results from the following organizations:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) for the English language; and
- Test d’evaluation de francais (TEF) or Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada) for the French language.
No other method is approved for supporting language abilities. Language tests must not be more than two years old at the time an application for Canadian permanent residence is submitted.
All applicants must prove that they meet or exceed Canada’s minimum threshold for language proficiency in all four language abilities: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.
Applicants who score below CLB 7 are not eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker program.
Points are awarded to a Principal Applicant to the Federal Skilled Worker Program based on the following table. Note that CELPIP scoring corresponds with CLB levels (e.g., a CELPIP level 12 corresponds with a CLB level 12, a CELPIP level 11 is a CLB level 11, etc.). IELTS scores need to be converted to CLB levels.
| Proficiency | IELTS/CELPIP score equivalence | Points | ||
| First Official Language | ||||
CLB Level 9 or higher (Initial Advanced) | IELTS Listening 8 or above or CELPIP 9 or above IELTS Reading 7 or above IELTS Speaking 7 or above IELTS Writing 7 or above | 6 points per ability | ||
CLB Level 8 (Fluent Intermediate) | IELTS Listening 7.5 or CELPIP 8 IELTS Reading 6.5 IELTS Speaking 6.5 IELTS Writing 6.5 | 5 points per ability | ||
CLB Level 7 (Adequate Intermediate) | IELTS Listening 6 or CELPIP 7 IELTS Reading 6 IELTS Speaking 6 IELTS Writing 6 | 4 points per ability | ||
| Below CLB Level 7 | Not eligible to apply | Not eligible to apply | ||
| Maximum points for first official language | 24 points | |||
| Second Official Language | ||||
| CLB 5 and above | 4 points for all language abilities | |||
| Maximum | 4 points | |||
Arranged Employment
An overall 10 points may be awarded towards a Federal Skilled Worker candidate’s score under the “Arranged Employment” factor if a Canadian employer extends him or her an offer of full-time permanent employment in Canada.
A maximum of 10 points may be awarded if the applicant meets one of the following conditions.
| Scenarios | Points | ||
| If the applicant is currently working in Canada on a work permit, | and |
| 10 |
If the applicant is currently working in Canada in a job that is LMIA-exempt because of the following:
| and |
| 10 |
| If the applicant does not hold a valid work permit and is not authorized to work in Canada. | and |
| 10 |
| If the applicant holds a valid work permit or is otherwise authorized to work in Canada without a work permit | and |
| |
Adaptability
Up to 10 points can be awarded under the Adaptability factor, based on an applicant’s ability to establish themselves in Canada. These 10 points can be awarded for full-time work in Canada, spouse or common-law partner’s merits, or a combination of six other possible adaptability factors.
Points are awarded under Adaptability based on qualifications that are expected to improve an applicant’s ability to become economically established in Canada as follows:
| Adaptability | Points (10 max) |
| Principal applicant’s previous work in Canada (minimum one (1) year of full-time work in Canada in an occupation classified as Skill Type 0, A, or B of the National Occupational Classification – NOC) | 10 points |
| Principal applicant’s past studies in Canada (minimum two (2) academic years of full-time* study in an at least two year long study program at a secondary or post-secondary educational institution in Canada). | 5 points |
| Accompanying spouse/common-law partner’s past studies in Canada (minimum two (2) academic years of full-time* study in an at least two year long study program at a secondary or post-secondary educational institution in Canada). | 5 points |
| Accompanying spouse/common-law partner’s past work in Canada (minimum one (1) year of full-time work in Canada while on a valid work permit or with authorization to work) | 5 points |
| Arranged employment in Canada | 5 points |
| Principal applicant or spouse/common-law partner have a relative** in Canada. The relative must be living in Canada, 18 years or older and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. | 5 points |
| Accompanying spouse/common-law partner’s language ability (English and French language proficiency at CLB 4 level or above in all four language abilities). CLB Level 4 is equivalent to IELTS 4.0 in Writing, 4.5 in Listening, 3.5 in Reading and 4.0 in Speaking). | 5 points |
*Full-time study is equivalent to at least 15 hours of class a week. It is important to maintain good academic standing during that time.
** Relative must be a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, a spouse’s sibling/aunt or uncle, niece or nephew.