Federal Skilled Worker

Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada.

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is for people coming to any part of Canada except Quebec. The province of Quebec is responsible for selecting its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information.

How to Qualify

To qualify, you must:

1) Have at least one year of experience in one or more of the following occupations:

0111: Financial Managers
0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers
0311: Managers in Health Care
0631: Restaurant and Food Service Managers
0632: Accommodation Service Managers
0711: Construction Managers
1111: Financial Auditors and Accountants
2113: Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
2143: Mining Engineers
2144: Geological Engineers
2145: Petroleum Engineers
3111: Specialist Physicians
3112: General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3141: Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists
3143: Occupational Therapists
3142: Physiotherapists
3151: Head Nurses and Supervisors
3152: Registered Nurses
3215: Medical Radiation Technologists

3233: Licensed Practical Nurses
4121: University Professors
4131: College and Other Vocational Instructors
6241: Chefs
6242: Cooks
7213: Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades
7215: Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
7217: Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
7241: Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)
7242: Industrial Electricians
7251: Plumbers
7252: Steamfitters, Pipe fitters and Sprinkler System Installers
7265: Welders and Related Machine Operators
7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
7371: Crane Operators
7372: Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction
8221: Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying
8222: Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
9212: Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

2) Have at least one year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment and you must have had this experience within the last 10 years.

3) If you meet these minimum requirements, your application will then be processed according to the six selection factors in the skilled worker points grid. The six selection factors are:

Selection Factor	Points
Education	Maximum 25 points
Ability in English and/or French	Maximum 24 points
Experience	Maximum 21 points
Age	Maximum 10 points
Arranged employment in Canada	Maximum 10 points
Adaptability	Maximum 10 points
Total	Maximum 100 points
Pass mark	67 points

The selection factors have been described in more detail below.

Selection Factors

Education (Maximum 25 points)

Education	Maximum 25 points
You have a master’s degree or PhD and at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	25 points
You have two or more university degrees at the bachelor’s level and at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	22 points
You have a three-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	22 points
You have a university degree of two years or more at the bachelor’s level and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	20 points
You have a two-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	20 points
You have a one-year university degree at the bachelor’s level and at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	15 points
You have a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	15 points
You have a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.	12 points
You completed high school.	5 points

Abilities in English and/or French (Maximum 24 points)

First Official Language	Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
High proficiency	4	4	4	4
Moderate proficiency	2	2	2	2
Basic proficiency	1	1	1	1
Please Note: You can score a maximum of only two points in total for basic-level proficiency.
No proficiency	0	0	0	0
Second Official Language	Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
High proficiency	2	2	2	2
Moderate proficiency	2	2	2	2
Basic proficiency	1	1	1	1
Please Note: You can score a maximum of only two points in total for basic-level proficiency.
No proficiency	0	0	0	0

Work experience (Maximum 21 points)

Experience	Maximum 21 points
1 year	15
2 years	17
3 years	19
4 years	21

Age (Maximum 10 points)

Age	Points
16 or under	0
17	2
18	4
19	6
20	8
21–49	10
50	8
51	6
52	4
53	2
54+	0

Arranged employment (Maximum 10 points)

If	And	Points
You currently work in Canada on a temporary work permit.	Your work permit is valid at the time of the permanent resident visa application and at the time the visa is issued. And Your employer has made an offer to employ you on an indeterminate basis if the permanent resident visa is issued.	10
You currently work in Canada in a job that is exempt from confirmation by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) under an international agreement or a significant benefit category (for example, an intra-company transferee).	Your work permit is valid at the time of your application for a permanent resident visa and at the time the visa is issued. And Your employer has made an offer to employ you on an indeterminate basis if your permanent resident visa is issued.	10
You do not currently have a work permit and you do not intend to work in Canada before you have been issued a permanent resident visa.	You have a full-time job offer that has been approved by HRSDC. And Your employer has made an offer to give you a permanent job if your permanent resident visa is issued. And You meet all required Canadian licensing or regulatory standards associated with the job.

And

Points

You currently work in Canada on a temporary work permit.

Your work permit is valid at the time of the permanent resident visa application and at the time the visa is issued.

And

Your employer has made an offer to employ you on an indeterminate basis if the permanent resident visa is issued.

You currently work in Canada in a job that is exempt from confirmation by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) under an international agreement or a significant benefit category (for example, an intra-company transferee).

Your work permit is valid at the time of your application for a permanent resident visa and at the time the visa is issued.

And

Your employer has made an offer to employ you on an indeterminate basis if your permanent resident visa is issued.

You do not currently have a work permit and you do not intend to work in Canada before you have been issued a permanent resident visa.

You have a full-time job offer that has been approved by HRSDC.

And

Your employer has made an offer to give you a permanent job if your permanent resident visa is issued.

And

You meet all required Canadian licensing or regulatory standards associated with the job.

Adaptability (Maximum 10 points)

Adaptability	Maximum 10 points
Spouse or common-law partner’s level of education Secondary school (high school) diploma or less: 0 points A one-year diploma, trade certificate, apprenticeship or university degree, and at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 3 points A two or three-year diploma, trade certificate, apprenticeship or university degree, and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 4 points A master’s degree or PhD and at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 5 points	3–5
Previous work in Canada You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner, have completed a minimum of one year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit.	5
Previous study in Canada You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner, have completed a program of full-time study of at least two years’ duration at a post-secondary institution in Canada. You must have done this after you were 17 years old and with a valid study permit. There is no need to have obtained a degree or diploma for these two years of study to earn these points.	5
Arranged Employment in Canada You can claim five additional points if you have arranged employment as described in the Arranged Employment selection factor.	5
Relatives in Canada You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner, have a relative (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, child of a parent, sibling, child of a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or grandchild of a parent, niece or nephew) who is residing in Canada and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.	5