• Menu

How to Immigrate to Canada in the Skilled Worker Category

The Canadian Parliament In Ottawa
The Canadian Parliament In Ottawa

If you don’t have relatives in Canada and if you’re not a refugee, you will probably apply for permanent residence as a skilled worker.  

What’s a “skilled worker”?

What does it take to be a skilled worker? Do You have to be a brain surgeon?

Actually, no. Phew. Skilled workers are basically professionals Canada needs for various reasons, usually because of labour shortages. There’s a long list of eligible occupations, from managerial jobs to skilled trades and the list changes over time based on who Canada needs.

Note that there are several programs for skilled workers.

Who is eligible as a skilled worker?

This is a point-based system and you should find out if you’re eligible before applying. There’s no trick or secret. Check the selection factors—if you score 67 points or higher, you may qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

The minimum requirements are:

  • skilled work experience
  • language ability
  • education

What are the six selection factors?

Language skills (max. 28 points)

Being fluent in either French or English, or better in both official languages, helps you on the job market. You will have to prove your language proficiency and take an approved test.

Education (max. 25 points)

Foreign education must be assessed by an approved organization.

Work experience (max. 15 points)

You can get points for the number of years you’ve spent doing full-time paid work in Canada or abroad at skill type 0, or skill levels A or B of the 2016 National Occupational Classification.

Age (max. 12 points)

18-35-year-old applicants get the most points. It drops to 0 at 47 or older.

Arranged employment in Canada (max. 10 points)

You can get points if you have a job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer. You must get the job offer before you apply to come to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker.

Adaptability (max 10 points)

Your spouse or partner’s language level, past studies in Canada, past work in Canada or relatives in Canada can give you extra points.

I have at least 67 points! What’s next?

Once you determined whether you have at least 67 points, you may apply for permanent residence in the skilled worker category.

Now, you probably don’t want to hear that but remember you will need money and it will take time. It’s quite an adventure, after all.

The process itself costs money. Besides, if you don’t have arranged employment in Canada, you will need to show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family when you arrive. Currently, it’s $12,960 for a single person and $16,135 for a couple. So, start saving! It may take a few months before you can find a good job and a few years before you can find your dream job! You are starting from scratch—trust me, you’ll need this kind of money and more if you can save.

How can I apply in the skilled worker category?

If Express Entry isn’t the right category for you as a skilled worker, you may want to explore opportunities with other immigration programs such as:

Share this article!
Zhu

French woman in English Canada.

Exploring the world with my camera since 1999, translating sentences for a living, writing stories that may or may not get attention.

Firm believer that nobody is normal... and it’s better this way.

View stories

Leave a Reply to Seraphine Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

21 comments