The Eligibility Criteria for Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

What is Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is an immigration program that is administered by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and is one of the three programs operated by the Express Entry system of Canada for skilled workers.

An overview of FSWP

Launched in 1967, this program was designed to aim and select talented immigrants from around the globe. Before the creation of the FSWP, the selection of skilled workers was impacted by decisions made by the immigration officers, and this whole process was perceived as primeval and problematic. Due to these circumstances, the first point-based system was established to introduce a selection process that selected immigrants objectively. Canada sought immigrants based on criteria such as age, work experience, linguistic skills, education, and various other factors. 

FSWP Benefits

As mentioned earlier, the Express Entry application management system operates the FSWP and this program embraces approximately 100,000 immigrants annually. The research done by the Canadian government displays that immigrants are greeted in Canada through the FSWP and these immigrants go on to lead successful lives and accomplished careers.

The FSWP Immigration Process

The FSWP is best for immigrants who haven’t lived in Canada before and are not skilled trades professionals. The first step is to check your eligibility for the FSWP by referring to the FSWP eligibility criteria. Second, you submit your Express Entry profile to the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) website which will lead to you receiving your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score, based on the factors such as education, linguistic skills, age, and work experience. Generally, every two weeks, there is an Express Entry draw held, which picks applicants that have the highest CRS scores and invites them to apply for permanent residence. They are provided an ITA (invitation to apply) for PR. After the PR application has been submitted and processed, you can expect to receive your PR status within half a year.

The FSWP Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the FSWP, candidates are required to meet the minimum requirements for factors such as work experience, age, and linguistic skills. They are also expected to attain a minimum of 67 points on a 100-point grid scale. The following is a list of minimum requirements:

• 1 year of continuous work in one of the three National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups
• Your skilled work experience must be in the same job that you listed for your immigration application
• Minimum or equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 in English or French, across all language criteria (reading, writing, speaking, listening)
• If you attended school in Canada, you must provide a certificate, diploma, or degree from a secondary or post-secondary institution
• If not, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes to show that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian institution