Skilled workers are assessed based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other factors, determining the ability to become economically established in Canada.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
This program has minimum requirements for skilled work experience, language ability and education.
You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible.

Skilled work experience
Skilled work experience means that you’ve worked in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

• Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
• Professional jobs (skill level A)
• Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

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 this means you must 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: 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1-year full time (1,560 hours)
• 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)

Language ability
You must:

• take approved language tests in English or French
• get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities
• enter the test results in your Express Entry profile

Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.

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

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Proof of funds
You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada, unless you:

• are currently able to legally work in Canada
• have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

Admissibility
You must be admissible to Canada.

Where you can live in Canada
You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you’re a Provincial Nominee, you must settle in the province or territory that nominated you.

Selection Factors
If you meet all the minimum requirements, your application will be assessed based on:

• age
• education
• work experience
• whether you have a valid job offer
• English and/or French language skills
• adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

These factors are part of a 100-point grid used to assess eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You earn points for how well you do in each of the 6 factors. The current pass mark is 67 points.

Once you’re in the Express Entry pool, a different system is used to rank your profile. The highest-ranking candidates from the pool are selected invited to apply for permanent residence.

How can we help

• Make sure that you meet the eligibility criteria, using our thorough assessment tools
• Build a competitive profile, that gives you the best chances of being selected
• Ensure Permanent Residency readiness: have all the Permanent Residency requirements ready when profile is submitted, so that the ITA validity is not missed

Start your assessment today to see if you qualify.