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

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.

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

Work experience – maximum points 15

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

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: