Skilled Worker Immigration to Canada

The Point System

The requirement for applicants under the Skilled Worker category is that they must pass a point system test designed to assess whether they are likely to become successfully established in Canada. The point system is a test that measures six factors related to the applicant and assigns a score to each factor. If the applicant’s total score meets the pass mark then they can qualify under the Skilled Worker category. A total of 100 points are available and the pass mark is currently set at 67. The factors measured under the point system are:

Generally speaking, to obtain 67 points an applicant should have at minimum a 2-year university degree or college diploma, four years of skilled work experience, be younger than 50 years old, and have high proficiency in either the English or French language.
 

Other Requirements

In addition to meeting the pass mark of 67 points, in order to qualify a Skilled Worker an applicant must meet one of the three following criteria:   have an offer of arranged employment (1); or have lived legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or international student (2); or have at least one year of full time experience in one or more of the following 38 high-demand occupations(3): 0111 Financial Managers 0213 Computer and Information Systems Managers 0311 Managers in Health Care 0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers 0632 Accommodation Service Managers 0711 Construction Managers 1111 Financial Auditors and Accountants 2113 Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists 2143 Mining Engineers 2144 Geological Engineers 2145 Petroleum Engineers 3111 Specialist Physicians 3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians 3141 Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists 3143 Occupational Therapists 3142 Physiotherapists 3151 Head Nurses and Supervisors 3152 Registered Nurses 3215 Medical Radiation Technologists 3233 Licensed Practical Nurses 4121 University Professors 4131 College and Other Vocational Instructors 6241 Chefs 6242 Cooks 7213 Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades 7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades 7217 Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews 7241 Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System) 7242 Industrial Electricians 7251 Plumbers 7252 Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers 7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators 7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics 7371 Crane Operators 7372 Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction 8221 Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying 8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service 9212 Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

New Federal Skilled Worker applications received after February 27, 2008 that do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined above will not be processed, and the application fee will be fully refunded.

 

(1) Arranged Employment

Where the Skilled Worker applicant is able to get a job offer in Canada in a skilled occupation and the Canadian company is willing to go through the process of having that job offer validated by the Canadian Human Resources Department, this will qualify an applicant even though that person’s occupation does not appear on the list of 38 high demand occupations. However, the applicant’s work experience must still be considered skilled in order to qualify.

Note that our firm cannot find a job for skilled worker applicants, but where an applicant is able to independently obtain a job offer our firm can assist in having that offer validated by the Human Resources Department and added to the skilled worker application.
 

(2) One year as a Worker or Student

Where an applicant under the Skilled Worker category has worked in Canada or studied in Canada for at least one year on a full time basis, then they can qualify even though their occupation does not appear on the list of 38 high demand occupations. As with arranged employment, such applicants will still have to demonstrate that their work experience is skilled in order to qualify.
 

(3) List of 38 High Demand Occupations

The current list of High Demand Occupations was released on November 28, 2008, and may be subject to change based on any future review of Canada’s labour market needs. Applicants who have at least one year of full time experience within the last 10 years in any of the occupations on the list will qualify under the Skilled Worker category assuming they also obtain 67 points in assessment.

 

Further Requirements and things to note

Apart from meeting the criteria in order to qualify as a Skilled Worker, as with any other category of permanent residence application, all applicants and their immediate family members will have to show that they do not have any criminal record and that they are in good health. Skilled Worker applications will be processed through the visa section of the Canadian embassy or consulate that serves the applicant’s country of nationality. There may be an interview by a visa officer. Processing times vary according to the country but a wait of at least one year before visas are issued is to be anticipated in most cases.
 

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