Federal Skilled Worker Program

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) was developed as part of Canada’s Immigration Strategy for permanent residents to become economically established in Canada. The FSWP falls under the Economic Immigration Class; this is the largest source of admitting Permanent Residents to Canada. Skilled Worker contributes significantly to the economic growth of Canada. In 2018, the government made history by accepting the largest number of permanent residents in Canada in one year since 1913. Under the Immigration plan for the next couple of years, the government plans to increase this number. The FSWP is a good immigration route for foreign nationals looking to immigrate permanently to Canada. The Government of Canada’s permanent resident immigration levels plan for federal economic and provincial nominees is about 351,000 in 2021 and 361,000 in 2022.

• You must prove to a visa officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires.
• You must show that you have sufficient funds for yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada.
• You must be law abiding and have no record of criminal activity and not be a security risk.
• You must be in good health.
• You must not plan to work for an employer on the “ineligible” status list.
• You must not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.
• Your spouse or common-law partner must have a valid study or work permit in Canada.
• You are waiting on a decision on an application for permanent residence from inside Canada.

An educated foreign nation with a minimum of 1-year of skilled work experience in any of the National Occupational Classification Group with skill type 0, A & B. Top candidates for this program includes Software engineers,  Computer programmers and developers, Financial auditors and accountants, Information systems analysts, professional occupations, administrative assistants, university professors, etc

There are two steps to apply for the FSW program: Creating your profile and submitting your PR application. Both steps are done online.

Step 1: Submit your Express Entry profile:

Submitting an express entry profile is done by filling an online form. To create your profile, you need to answer some eligibility questions, which takes about 15 minutes to complete through this link. After you completed the eligibility questions, you will be issued a number as your reference code. You will need this number to move your information from the eligibility tool to your Express Entry profile.

If you are eligible, you will receive instruction to create an online account to fill out an Express Entry profile. Enter your reference number (if you have one) and enter your personal information, language test details, and National Occupation Classification (NOC Code).

After you submit your Express Entry profile, you will know your score to determine your place in the Express Entry Pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System. Visit this link to see how you are ranked in the express entry pool.

You have 60 days to complete and submit your express entry profile. Your profile is valid for one year, but you can submit another profile if you did not receive an ITA within one year.

Note: Submitting an online Express Entry profile does not guarantee that you will be invited to apply for permanent residence.

While in the express entry pool, you can create a Job Match account with Job Bank and start your job search in Canada. Follow this link to register on job bank.

Step 2: Apply for Permanent Residence

Applying for a Permanent Resident Visa after receiving an invitation to apply is done through the express entry online system. You will need to fill out the online forms through the account you created while submitting your express entry profile. Scan and upload all your supporting documents, as listed above. Pay your application fees and submit your completed application.

Pay your application fees:

Estimated cost per Adult $1,325 and per child $225. See the breakdown of the fees below. How to make payment & Fees table

Biometrics:

Applicants may be required to give their biometrics for permanent residence applications.  Fingerprints and photos will be taken. Visit this link to learn more about how to give your Biometrics. Estimated Cost – $85 Individual, $170 Family.

Processing time:

The processing time for a complete PR application is six months. You have 90 days to submit your application.

• If your application is successful, you will be required to submit your passport and Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), and a Visa will be issued

15000 Express Entry Candidates have been invited in the last three rounds of Express Entry Draws with the lowest CRS score of 469. See below the details.

Data Source: Express Entry Result – Round of Invitation

See the chart below for the number of admissions made between 2013 when the program started and 2016.

Data Source:  Canada- Permanent Resident Immigration Category 2000-2016 Open Data.IRCC_AdhocSR_PR_0007_E