Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | Eligibility, Requirements, Points Calculator and Application Process

Whitney Houston

4 min read

Updated On Aug 14, 2024

So, What is FSWP?
Who is eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

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If you are a skilled worker and planning to settle abroad, then FSW Canada is the right option for you.

Every year, Canada accepts thousands of skilled worker candidates.

So, What is FSWP?

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) was established in 1967. On January 1, 2015, FSWP was replaced and became part of the Express Entry program. Therefore, one of the three options for Express Entry is the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Express Entry

The Express Entry program is for skilled individuals who want to settle in Canada on a permanent basis. It is an online application system that controls the applications of qualified applicants. Skilled employees can be classified into the following categories:

Federal Skilled Worker Program
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Canadian Experience Class

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Who is eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

Skilled workers based on their education, work experience, proficiency of language and many more are invited to apply for permanent resident status.

FSW Requirements

When you register your application, your Express Entry profile is ranked, and your CRS scores are decided. The things that are required under this program are:

Work Experience

It is mandatory to have skilled work experience with professional, technical or managerial skills. These categories are also known as 0, A and B NOC Code job groups.

Education

You need to show proof of education. It can be a certificate, diploma or degree.

Language proficiency

You must provide proof of language competency by completing a Canadian government-approved language test. The test consists of a language competency test in either English or French.

The approved language tests by the Canadian government are:

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
TEF (Test d’Evaluation de Francais)
CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program)

Canada Federal Skilled Worker Program Occupations

There are a wide range of occupations that are considered skilled under this program. These categories are also known as 0, A and B NOC Code job groups.

Skill Type 0 – Management Jobs (e.g. Trade Manager, Food Manager, Relationship Manager and many more)
Skill level A – Professional Jobs (e.g. Engineers, legal, construction occupations and many more.)
Skill Level B – Technical Jobs (e.g. Chef, plumber, salesperson and more.)

FSW Program Eligibility

In order to qualify for the FSW program, an applicant must fulfil the following eligibility requirements.

Education	High school diploma or equivalent in a Canadian or foreign educational institution.
Work Experience	Minimum 12 months of continuous, full-time skilled work experience. Completed within the 10 years before you apply for the FWS program.
Language skills	Must show proficiency in either English or French. Minimum of CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) level 7 on the test.
Financial Support	Proof of enough funds to support themselves or spouse and children to settle in Canada.
Residence in Canada	Must intend to live in Canada.

Federal Skilled Worker Points

The Federal Skilled worker points is a 100 point system by which Canada decides whether or not you’re eligible for the Express Entry pool. A minimum score of 67 out of 100 is needed to qualify in the FSW program. Therefore, if your score is less than 67, your profile will not be considered for the programme.

6 factors that contribute to FSW points are

Education – maximum points 25

Either you must have completed your education from a Canadian school and have a certificate, diploma, or degree, or you must have completed your education from a foreign school and have an ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) certificate, diploma, or degree.

Age – maximum points 12

AGE	POINTS
18-35	12 points
36	11 points
37	10 points
38	9 points
39	8 points
40	7 points
41	6 points
42	5 points
43	4 points
44	3 points
45	2 points
46	1 points
47 or Older	0 points

Work experience – maximum points 15

Your points depend upon the number of years you have spent doing a paid full-time job.

Work Experience	Points
1 year	9 points
2-3 years	11 points
4-5 years	13 points
6 or more than 6 years	15 points

Language proficiency – maximum points 28

In Canada, you must be able to communicate in either English or French. It will help you increase your FSW points as well as aid you in the job market if you understand both.

In order to check your English and French proficiency, the two types of systems are used. They are:

Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) – For English
Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) – For French

In each of the four language categories, you must achieve a minimum score level of 7 in CLB or NCLC for one official language. In addition, you must achieve a minimum level of 5 in CLB or NCLC in all four language areas to receive points for the second language.

Adaptability – maximum points 10

Points under this depend on you and your spouse or common-law partner who will accompany you to Canada. The following are some of the things that can help you get these ten points:

Your spouse or common-law partner’s language level
History of your study records in Canada
Your spouse or common-law partner’s study record in Canada
History of work
Your spouse or common-law partner’s history of work
Relatives in Canada

Arranged Employment – maximum points 10

You get points if you have a job offer for at least one year in Canada. If you want to get points under arranged employment, you must have a job before landing in Canada. The job will be considered valid when it is continuous, paid, full-time work, and not seasonal. Additionally, it should be listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Type Level A or B.

Note: This is a distinct point system from CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) under the Express Entry profile.

What kind of skilled employees does Canada require?

The Federal Skilled Worker Program in Canada is available to a wide range of employees, including those with previous work experience. There are 347 types of occupations listed in the FSW program. Applicants must meet the qualifying standards to be considered for the Federal Skilled Worker Program in Canada.

Some occupations and their codes out of 347 types of FSW occupations are:

S.No.	Code	Occupation
1	0011	Legislators
2	0714	Facility operation and maintenance managers
3	1212	Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers
4	2175	Web designers and developers
5	3211	Medical laboratory technologists
6	4166	Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers
7	5121	Authors and writers
8	6222	Retail and wholesale buyers
9	7303	Supervisors, printing and related occupations
10	9217	Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between FSW points and CRS points?

There are two different types of point systems required to get PR in Canada. Under Express Entry, candidates for the Federal Skilled Workers Program are assessed on a scale of 100 points. The CRS, or Comprehensive Ranking System, is scored out of 1200 points (in the Express Entry pool). Applicants frequently get these two points mixed up. Learn the difference between FWS and CRS points to make things easier. Applicants registering for the Express Entry pool have their applications assessed using the CRS point system, which has a maximum of 1200 points. The skilled worker who applies for the FSW program receives a maximum score of 100 points. After qualifying in the FSW program (which uses FSW points), the candidate becomes eligible for Express Entry. In the Express Entry pool, they are ranked based on CRS points. A minimum score of 67 points out of 100 is necessary to qualify in the FSW. In the CRS points scoring system, a minimum score of 600 out of 1200 is necessary.

How much time does the FSWP application take to process?

Generally, most of the applications are processed within 6 months or even less.

What is arranged employment under the FSWP program?

Arranged employment under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program implies you have a valid offer letter from a Canadian employer. A job offer helps you in two ways: first, it qualifies you for the FSWP, and second, it gives you points toward your overall CRS score.

What is the minimum amount of settlement funds I need to demonstrate for Express Entry?

Under the Express Entry program, as a single individual, you must demonstrate 13,213 Canadian dollars as settlement funds. This amount increases with the number of dependents.

How can I apply for the FSW program?

You must first create an Express Entry profile in order to apply for the FSW program. Then you may choose between using Sign-In Partner or GCKey to register. Following that, you will be able to select the Express Entry program type for which you wish to apply.