Federal Skilled Worker Program

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is targeted at skilled workers with work experience gained within the last ten years who want to become permanent residents of Canada.

Applications for the FSTP are handled using the Express Entry system, alongside the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates who want to apply for Canadian permanent residence through the Federal Skilled Worker Program must first create and submit an Express Entry profile. If their profile scores enough points, they will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Who can apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

In order to qualify to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker program, you should:

• have at least one years’ paid, continuous work experience (at least 30 hours per week or equivalent) within the last ten years in a job which is in one of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories:
  • TEER 0 – Management jobs e.g. financial managers, marketing or public relations managers)
  • TEER 1 – Jobs usually requiring a university degree e.g. software engineers, financial advisors
  • TEER 2 – Jobs usually requiring a college diploma, two year apprenticeship or which are supervisory in nature e.g. IT technicians, web developers, medical technologists
  • TEER 3 – Jobs usually requiring a college diploma, apprenticeship of less than two years, or at least 6 months’ on-the-job training e.g. dental assistants, bakers
• have passed an approved English or French language test within the last two years and been assessed at least CLB/NCLC level 7 in speaking, listening, reading and writing
• have at least completed secondary education, either in Canada or to an equivalent standard in another country
• be planning to live outside Quebec, which has its own skilled worker programs

You do not need to have a job offer or post-secondary education in order to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. However, you can gain additional points in the Express Entry pool for these if you declare them.

What does the Federal Skilled Worker Program offer?

Successful applicants for the Federal Skilled Worker Program will be able to get permanent residence in Canada. Canadian permanent residents can:

• live, study or work anywhere in Canada
• access most social benefits on the same terms as Canadian citizens, including healthcare coverage
• use their permanent residence status as a starting point for applying for Canadian citizenship

How do I apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

In order to qualify to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you will first need to register a profile with the Express Entry system. Once you have filled out and submitted your profile, it will be assessed, scored and added to a pool along with other Express Entry applicants.

If your skills and experience gain you enough points, and your profile is judged to be most suitable for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (i.e. more than or instead of the Canadian Experience Class or Federal Skilled Trades Programs), you will be invited to submit a full application.

When using Express Entry, the system will determine what program you are most suited for. You can not indicate a preference for one program over another.

For more details on the Express Entry system and application process, please refer to our detailed Express Entry guidance. You can also get an estimate of your Express Entry score by using our Express Entry calculator, or by speaking with a member of our team.