If you are interested in immigrating and working in Canada, there are a few different ways to realize your dream depending on your situation. For skilled workers in certain occupations, the best option may be Canada’s federal skilled worker program.



Federal Skilled Worker Program

The Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) program was introduced into the Canadian immigration system in 2002. This program was – and still is – intended to welcome workers who demonstrate sufficient skills to adapt to the dynamic labor market associated with the global and local economy. Since 2002, the Canadian government has determined various occupations deemed eligible for immigration under this program based on current and long-term gaps in the Canadian labor market. Approximately 240,000 immigrants per year were selected and admitted to Canada in this category between 2002 and 2008. In 2010, the Canadian government decided to review its immigration policies and reduced the number of eligible occupations to 29. To be eligible, applicants must have at less 1 year of continuous paid work experience in one of the eligible occupations.

A point-based system

The FSW program is a points-based system similar to those in force in countries such as the United Kingdom or Australia. Skilled workers who have experience in an eligible occupation are selected based on their ability to establish themselves economically in Canada. The following criteria are considered:

•Age

•Education

• Work experience

• Knowledge of English and / or French

• Other criteria such as previous studies or work in Canada

To be selected in this category, you must score a minimum of 67 points.

The whole process takes around a year depending on the country you are applying from, which is quite long compared to processing times in other countries for similar programs, but if you are selected, you will be granted permanent residency and allowed. apply for Canadian citizenship after only 3 years of continuous residence in Canada.

Annual limits

In June 2010, the government introduced annual limits to avoid overrepresentation of any occupation on the list. They have determined that a maximum of 20,000 federal skilled worker applications will be considered for processing annually. Within this limit, a maximum of 1,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation would also be considered for processing each year. As of June 21, 2011, 12,682 of the total limit of 20,000 applications were received. Even if the general limit has not been reached, some professions and occupations have reached the 1,000 limit very quickly compared to others. Those that reach the limit faster are:

• Health care professions such as: nurses, dentists, pharmacists;

• Food and restaurant managers; and

• Professional business and management occupations such as ISO consultants, advertising account executives, business management consultants, business methods analysts, and promotion specialists.

June 30, 2011 – a key date!

On June 30, 2011, the annual limit will reset to zero for all eligible occupations, including those that have been closed for a period of time. If you are interested in immigrating to Canada under the Federal Skilled Workers program, now is more than ever the time to apply!

If your occupation is one of those fast disappearing, applying as early as June 30 will secure your place in the queue and thus ensure that your application is processed before your occupation is closed for processing. .

Our advice for you? Apply as soon as you are sure you are eligible, but only after you have gathered all the supporting documents. Otherwise, your application may be delayed or worse, rejected and returned.

Exception

If you have a valid job offer from a prospective Canadian employer, the above limits will not apply to you, which means that you will be able to apply even if the limit for your occupation has been reached. You can even improve your chances of getting your application approved as you will earn additional points.

For more immigration advice and assistance

If you are looking to immigrate to Canada and think you may be eligible in this category, please contact VisaWise at [email protected] or +44 (0) 203 012 2312 for a free eligibility assessment and more. information about the process.