Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
Federal Skilled Worker Program, one of the most popular programs in the Express Entry, is designed for those with specific skill sets.
You need skilled work experience, language skills, and education, but in order to succeed in your application, you need to qualify for the Express Entry parameters too. The ranking system is based on a 100-point grid, and you need 67 to qualify.
Here are the minimum requirements for candidates seeking to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program:
Skilled Work Experience
You must have at least 1 year of full-time paid work experience or 1,560 hours in total. These hours can also be fulfilled over a longer period of time, for instance, 15 hours a week for 24 months at a part-time job, or the same full-time work-load at more than one job in 12 months.
You will receive a minimum of 9 points for 1 year of experience, 2-5 years will get you 11-13 points, and having more than 6 years of experience, you can get a maximum of 15 points.
General requirements for skilled work experience are:
It must have occurred in the last 10 years before your application
Language Ability
You can get a maximum of 28 points for your language skills. You will have to work on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. You can either sit for CELPIP, IELTS, or TEF Canada.
Education
In the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you can get a maximum of 25 points for your education. If you went to school in Canada you will need to present your secondary, high-school, post-secondary or higher education certificate or diploma. If you have a foreign education you must have a completed educational credential and obtain a report from an approved agency in Canada showing that your education is equal to a Canadian degree.
Age
In the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you can get a maximum of 12 points for your age.
Express Entry
Heard about the wonderful stories from immigrants who came to Canada through the Express Entry program
The Express Entry to Canada, launched in 2015, is a simple and fast way to apply for immigration to Canada. Launched by Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC), it is an online system to manage the application for permanent residency in Canada. If you have the right skillsets, Canada needs you.
More importantly, you have four different ways to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry. Here is a look at each of them.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
FSW is a program aimed at skilled workers with experience in their relevant fields who wish to immigrate permanently to Canada.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Canadian Experience is the program for you if you are a skilled worker with work experience obtained in Canada.
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Apply for permanent Canadian residence if you are qualified in a skilled trade.
Specific Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
This program is for workers who have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory, and who want to live in that province.
Provincial Nominee Program
Provincial Nominee Program
The PNP program is designed to help provinces get the right talent and skillsets, to address any specific labor shortages.
Each province and territory have specific immigration programs that target certain groups and requirements.
How do You Apply to a Provincial Nominee Program
Depending on which Provincial Nominee Program stream you’re applying to, you can apply using a paper-based process, or through the Express Entry process online. In the paper-based process you need to be eligible for the requirements of the province you are applying to, then, you submit a paper application (which is a requirement for everyone regardless of where you plan to live in Canada).
The Different PNP Programs in Canada
To be nominated by a province or territory you must follow specific directions provided by each of them.
ALBERTA IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM (AINP)
You need to have a valid work permit for an eligible occupation, work in an eligible occupation in Alberta, work in an occupation that matches your previous work experience, meet the minimum language requirements, education requirements (high school diploma or equivalent in your country of origin), work experience requirements (a minimum of 12 months full-time work within the past 18 months), have an eligible job offer.
BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (BC PNP)
You can apply under different categories according to what you’re studying in BC or working. Skilled workers may have work experience from abroad, or may not be required to have prior work experience at all.
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category applicants need British Columbia work experience. If you recently graduated from a Canadian university, you may not even need any work experience to qualify.
Express Entry offers a faster way to immigrate to British Columbia. However, in order to apply through this method, you must also qualify for a federal economic immigration program. While you do not require British Columbia work experience, you must have relevant work experience as well as meet other requirements such as education and language.
You can also apply for the Entrepreneur Immigration if you own a business and are able to invest in and actively manage a business in British Columbia. Applicants must have the required personal and investment funds.
MANITOBA PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (MPNP)
To apply for the Manitoba PNP the following minimal requirements should be met:
Settlement funds (the recommended minimum amount of money you will need in order to support yourself and your family)
Language skills
Commitment to settle in Manitoba.
And if you are applying through Express Entry – educational credential
assessment for education obtained outside of Canada.
NEW BRUNSWICK PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (NBPNP)
New Brunswick PNP offers different criteria of admission for each type of skilled workers, entrepreneurs, students, etc. You can also apply through Express Entry, if you meet all of the following criteria:
Qualify for the federal economic immigration program
Are currently living and working in New Brunswick
Are employed in either a managerial, professional or technical position
Have valid language test scores
Have an educational credential assessment of education equivalent to Canadian high school diploma.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (NLPNP)
You can apply both on paper and online. To be eligible, you need to hold a job or have an offer, possess sufficient settlement funds, and a dedication to permanent settlement in the province. Interestingly, you also get a dedicated immigration officer, something you don’t see in other PNP programs.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (NTPNP)
To apply for permanent residency in Northwest Territories you need to have a valid job offer, sufficient settlement funds, meet language requirements, and be dedicated to permanent settlement in Northwest Territories.
NOVA SCOTIA NOMINEE PROGRAM (NSNP)
You can apply for Nova Scotia Express Entry if you qualify for a federal economic immigration program. Nova Scotia nominates applicants according to the province’s labor shortage, so skilled workers who possess the skills and experience targeted by Nova Scotia are most likely to be nominated. The criteria can change any time.
ONTARIO IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM (OINP)
The Ontario INP is similar to all the others but divided into three main streams: Employer Job Offer, Human Capital, and Business. To qualify for the Employer Job Offer category you need to have a valid job offer or be an International Student. Within the Human Capital category you can apply either as International Graduates for continuing your studies, or apply for Ontario’s Express Entry. Applying for the Business category you must be either an international corporation looking to expand business in Ontario, or an entrepreneur looking to start a business or purchase an existing business in Ontario.
PRINCE EDWARDS ISLAND PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (PEIPNP)
There are three main streams that you can apply for Prince Edwards Island PNP – as an entrepreneur, business owner, or a skilled worker. In the frame of skilled worker stream PEI also offers a separate stream for so called Critical Workers, which includes jobs requiring only high-school education or specific job training, or on-the-job training (cleaning staff, oil field workers).
SASKATCHEWAN IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM (SINP)
There are four categories you can apply to in Saskatchewan INP:
Worker Point-based ranking system. You can also apply for an in-demand profession (these can change in time).
Saskatchewan Experience program For foreign workers who have work experience in Saskatchewan and wish to obtain permanent residency.
Entrepreneur category
Farmer category
YUCON NOMINEE PROGRAM
In Yucon, you can apply to one of the three categories:
Skilled worker You may require to have your foreign work and educational credentials assessed, if your occupation falls under the regulated professions category.
Critical impact worker
Express Entry
QUEBEC
Quebec does not offer a provincial nominee program. You can immigrate to Quebec as a skilled worker for a permanent or temporary position, as an entrepreneur, or a student. Applicants are ranked on a point-based grid according to certain criteria (training, experience, age, language skills, job offer, family, and sufficient funds).