Permanent Residence

Immigration Categories: Skilled workers

Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada.

This section will help you to find guides, information and the forms you need to apply as a federal skilled worker. Please note: the Federal Skilled Worker Program is for people coming to any part of Canada except Quebec. The province of Quebec is responsible for selecting its own skilled workers.

The rules for applying as a federal skilled worker can change from time to time, so make sure you visit this site regularly if you are considering immigrating to Canada as a federal skilled worker.

Before you apply, make sure you refer to the updated selection criteria under Who can apply below, and are familiar with the current application procedures. After you apply, make sure you return to this Web page to find out about the steps that follow.

Who can apply?

Skilled workers are people who are selected as permanent residents based on their ability to become economically established in Canada.

Federal skilled worker applications received on or after February 27, 2008 are now assessed for eligibility according to a set of criteria issued by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

You can find out more about the criteria in the Learn about section at the bottom of this page.

Your application will be reviewed in three steps.

1. According to the eligibility criteria, your application is eligible for processing if:

• you have an offer of arranged employment, OR
• you are a foreign national who has been living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student, OR
• you are a skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the designated occupations.

2. If your application is eligible for processing, you must also meet the following minimum requirements to qualify as a skilled worker:

• you have at least one year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment, AND
• your work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list, AND
• you must have had this experience within the last 10 years.

3. If you meet these minimum requirements, your application will then be processed according to the six selection factors in the skilled worker points grid. The six selection factors are:

• your education
• your abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages
• your work experience
• your age
• whether you have arranged employment in Canada, and
• your adaptability.

You must also show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada.