Federal Skilled Worker Program Requirements & Checklist

Skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to migrate to Canada and settle there permanently can apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) approves the candidates' application for immigration only if they meet the minimum requirements of the different selection criteria. IRCC uses a 100-point grid called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to choose candidates. The six selection factors on which you are scored are:

• Age,
• Education,
• Relevant Work Experience in the line of your occupation,
• Valid Job Offer from a Canadian employer,
• Proficiency in English or French (or both), and
• Adaptability (How well you are likely to settle in Canada?)

The current pass marks for the FSWP approval is 67 points. Only the highest-ranking candidates are chosen for Express Entry (EE).

Minimum Requirements for the FSWP Program

• Language Proficiency: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking sections of the approved English language tests. Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadien (NCLC) 5 is required in all the four sections of the French language tests. You can present test results for both the languages for more marks.

Do note that the language tests are only valid for two years after the test results. They should be valid at least until you apply for PR.

• Education: You must have completed your high school but you get more points for higher studies. Immigrants need to show the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to show that their foreign education is equivalent to the Canadian education standard. 

• Proof of Funds: You need to show that you either have a valid job offer (or a work permit) in hand or enough funds in your account to settle in Canada.

• Admissibility: Canada may not allow you entry into Canada for various reasons. These are often related to security risks, criminal records, and medical reasons. However, you may be granted a temporary resident permit in such cases if you have a valid reason for visiting Canada.

• Skilled workers can only live outside Quebec for Quebec has a separate process of selecting skilled workers. 

V2I Canada immigration experts can help you with increasing their CRS score with a few tweaks in your immigration plan. They can guide you on the language tests you can take to get better scores and when to take them. Once you hire V2I experts, they assist you at each step, including:

• how to get the ECA done, 
• how to increase your score in language tests,
• getting an additional certificate, diploma, or degree to increase your score,
• how to win a job offer from an employer in Canada,
• making sure you are admissible to Canada,
• choose where to live in Canada, and 
• handle the proof of funds clause smoothly.

Document Checklist for FSWP Applicants

Incomplete applications cause unnecessary delays in their processing and may get rejected by the IRCC. Hence, we bring you all the documents you will need while submitting your visa application:

• Medical exam results for all the members included in an application in the prescribed format,
• Police certificates that are not older than 6 months for all applicants (in the country of residence),
• Copy of passports or travel documents for all the applicants,
• Work experience documents of the main applicant and his/her spouse or common-law partner, such as:
  • a reference or experience letter from the employer, or
  • documentation from third-party individuals showing evidence of services they used and payment details (in case of self-employed people), or
  • T4 tax information slips and assessment notices issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (for those who have worked in Canada).
• Copy of birth/adoption certificates or equivalent documents for dependent children,
• Education documents of the main applicant and his/her spouse or common-law partner (along with the ECA if studied overseas),
• Valid job offer letter or Proof of Funds (as applicable),
• Marriage/Divorce/Death certificate to prove your relationship status (as applicable),
• Proof of relationship to someone in Canada (if applicable),
• Digital photos of all applicants in the prescribed format, and
• Legal name change documents (if you have changed your name).

Please note that if your document is not in English or French, you will have to submit their translations along with a certified photocopy of the original document, and the affidavit of your certified translator. V2I experts have years of experience in helping clients apply for the FSW class visa without any glitches. WhatsApp them at _________ for a quick consultation.