Under the Canadian immigration system, skilled workers are selected for their ability to become successfully established in Canada. These skilled worker immigrants obtain permanent resident visas because they are able to demonstrate the ability to enter the labour market and show a strong likelihood of successfully establishing themselves in Canada.
Currently, there are three programs available under which you may be eligible to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker:
The Federal Skilled Worker Program;
The Provincial Nominee Program;
The Québec Skilled Worker Program.
Federal Skills Worker
Under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, visa applicants must meet a selection criterion that assesses factors such as age, education, language ability, and work experience involving certain levels of responsibilities and skills. In order to qualify for immigration to Canada as a Skilled Worker, applicants must score a minimum number of points under on a point system set out in the immigration regulations. The point system is based on the following factors:
Education (up to a maximum of 25 points) – dependent on both the level of education and the total number of years of full-time post-secondary education by the principle applicant.
English and/or French language ability (up to a maximum of 24 points) - dependent on the principle applicant’s ability to speak, listen, read or write in one or both official languages of Canada.
Work Experience (up to a maximum of 21 points) – dependent on the number of years of full-time work experience in a qualifying occupation within the 10 years prior to the date of application.
A minimum of one year of full-time work experience is required to apply under this category.
Age (up to a maximum of 10 points) - dependent on the principle applicant’s age on the day application is received by CIC.
Arranged Employment (10 points) - to obtain points for this factor, the principle applicant must be qualified to carry out the work and have a permanent job offer in Canada.
Adaptability (up to a maximum of 10 points) – points under this factor are awarded based on an adaptability criteria which considers elements such as:
having previously studied or worked in Canada;
having relatives living in Canada;
having an arranged employment in Canada.
Spouse Education
As of September 18, 2003, the Minister of immigration has set the pass mark at 67 points. Under the immigration regulations, however, if a visa officer believes the point total is not a sufficient indicator of whether or not the applicant may become economically established in Canada, the officer may use his or her discretionary authority known as “substituted evaluation” to approve or refuse the application.
The passage of changes to Canada’s new immigration legislation (Bill C-50) in June 2008 gave sweeping powers to of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. The legislation (Bill C-50) empowers the Minister to instruct visa officers to process certain applications.
November 28, 2008, Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued instructions to visa officers to review new federal skilled worker applications submitted on or after February 27, 2008, for eligibility according to the eligibility criteria listed below. Applications that meet the following criteria will be processed immediately upon receipt of the application at Canadian visa posts worldwide.
Unless the Minister has otherwise instructed that applications be retained by CIC´s visa officers, applications that do not meet the assessment criteria described below will not be processed by visa offices and CIC processing fee will be returned.
In order for federal skilled worker applications submitted on or after February 27, 2008, the applicant must either:
I. have an offer of arranged employment, OR
II. be a foreign national living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student, OR
III. be a skilled worker with at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent
paid work experience in the last 10 years with who has at least one year of experience under one or more of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories:
1) Financial Managers [NOC 0111]
2) Computer and Information Systems Managers [NOC 0213]
3) Managers in Health Care [NOC 0311]
4) Restaurant and Food Service Managers [NOC 0631]
5) Accommodation Service Managers [NOC 0632]
6) Construction Managers [NOC 0711]
7) Financial Auditors and Accountants [NOC 1111]
8) Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists [NOC 2113]
9) Mining Engineers [NOC 2143]
10) Geological Engineers [NOC 2144]
11) Petroleum Engineers [NOC 2145]
12) Specialist Physicians [NOC 3111]
13) General Practitioners and Family Physicians [NOC 3112]
14) Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists [NOC 3141]
15) Occupational Therapists [NOC 3143]
16) Physiotherapists [NOC 3142]
17) Head Nurses and Supervisors [NOC 3151]
18) Registered Nurses [NOC 3152]
19) Medical Radiation Technologists [NOC 3215]
20) Licensed Practical Nurses [NOC 3233]
21) University Professors [NOC 4121]
22) College and Other Vocational Instructors [NOC 4131]
23) Chefs [NOC 6241]
24) Cooks [NOC 6242]
25) Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades [NOC 7213]
26) Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades [NOC 7215]
27) Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews [NOC 7217]
28) Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System) [NOC 7241]
29) Industrial Electricians [NOC 7242]
30) Plumbers [NOC 7251]
31) Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers [NOC 7252]
32) Welders and Related Machine Operators [NOC 7265]
33) Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics [NOC 7312]
34) Crane Operators [NOC 7371]
35) Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction [NOC7372]
36) Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying [NOC 8221]
37) Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service [NOC 8222]
38) Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities [NOC9212]
Please contact our office for further information regarding the procedures for applying for immigration to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
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