Federal Skilled Worker
The Federal Skilled Worker Program has been the most popular stream of economic immigration to Canada for many years, even before the Express Entry system.
To apply for PR in Canada under the FSW program, an applicant has to follow three steps:
- Submit an Express Entry Profile into the pool
- Receive an Invitation to Apply for PR
- Submit an application for PR in Canada
All of these steps are done online – no paper applications for PR in Canada under the FSW program are accepted.
In order to qualify to apply for PR in Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, an applicant needs to meet both eligibility requirements and Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points requirements to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for PR.
Federal Skilled Worker – Eligibility
The FSW program has minimum eligibility requirements for language ability, education, and work experience.
An applicant must get 67 points on the Federal Skilled Worker Selection Factors assessment.
The selection factors include:
- Education
- Age
- Work Experience
- English or French language ability
- Adaptability to Canadian life
- Whether you have a Canadian job offer
FSW – Work Experience Requirements
Applicants must have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in one of the eligible categories:
- Managerial jobs (NOC 0)
- Professional jobs (NOC A)
- Technical jobs and skilled trades (NOC B)
The work must have been paid, have occurred within the last 10 years, and must amount to a total of 1560 hours in earned either in full or part time increments.
FSW – Language Ability Requirements
Applicants must meet Canadian Language Benchmarks of 7 in all 4 areas:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
- Listening
Applicants must take one of the approved tests for language ability including IELTS and CELPIP for English or TEF for French.
FSW – Education Requirements
You can use both your Canadian and your foreign education to help you meet the eligibility requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker category:
For Canadian Education, you can use:
- Secondary school (high school) diploma
- College or University certificate, diploma, or degree
For foreign education, you need:
- A completed educational credential such as a diploma or degree, AND
- An Educational Credential Assessment report showing that your credential is the equivalent of one of the Canadian credentials listed above
Proof of Funds
You do NOT need to demonstrate proof of settlement funds if you have:
- A valid work permit (or the ability to work without a work permit), OR
- A valid job offer from a Canadian employer
Otherwise, all Federal Skilled Worker applicants MUST be able to demonstrate that they have the minimum amount of settlement funds to bring themselves (and their family, if applicable) to Canada:
| Number of family members |
Funds required (in Canadian dollars) |
| 1 | $12,960 |
| 2 | $16,135 |
| 3 | $19,836 |
| 4 | $24,083 |
| 5 | $27,315 |
| 6 | $30,806 |
| 7 | $34,299 |
| For each additional family member | $3,492 |
These are the minimum eligibility requirements to submit an application for PR under the FSW category. However, you also need to have enough points to receive an invitation to apply for PR from the Canadian government.
Schedule a consultation to discuss your Federal Skilled Worker Application and how you can increase your points.