The Citizenship and Immigration Canada, since 1st January 2015, has recognized the Federal Skilled Worker Program, to have its applicants apply for Canadian Visa through the Express Entry System. While this is great news, many people are still not clear about who can be considered as a Federal Skilled Worker.

A Definition:

Skilled workers are those people, who the Canadian Immigration authorities trust to be able to successfully establish themselves in Canada, economically or financially. These people are supposed to have a decent command over English and/or French language(s), a good educational background, previous work experience, amongst other things to help them settle in Canada.

Now, how would you know if you are a Federal Skilled Worker or not?

It's simple.

You are one, if:

• Your work experience matches the type of job that you chose as your primary NOC.
• You have been working within the last 10 years, with at least 1 year of continuous work,Either full-time at a single job-30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)Or part-time-15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
• You show that you did in fact perform all the main duties that came with your job description listed in the NOC.
• You can clearly show your work experience, for otherwise you won’t be deemed eligible for the program

We have here six selection factors, each with a maximum number of points to score. The highest you can score, is a 100. You need a minimum score of 67 out of 100 to be eligible to get a Canadian visa on the basis of being a Federal Skilled Worker. Any less than 67, and you won’t qualify for immigration.

An overview: English and French are the two official languages of Canada, and primary languages of communication there. Therefore, your proficiency in at least one of the two languages is an important decider as to whether or not you can get a Canadian visa.

What do You Need to do?

The abilities you’ll be checked for, are:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking

You will be taking Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English, and/or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French.

You will be required to reach at least the level of CLB 7 or NCLC 7 for your first official language in each language section. For the second official language, you would need to reach at least the level of CLB 5 or NCLC 5, in each of the four areas.

Your Express Entry profile will be incomplete without the test results included. Under no circumstances, can you attain your visa eligibility, unless your test results show that you've met the required level of proficiency. You can give both language tests, and include the results to prove your proficiency in English as well as French.

You can take any of these approved language tests:

English

CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program

• you must take the CELPIP-General test
• IRCC don't accept the General-LS test for Express Entry

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

• you must take the General Training option
• IRCC don't accept the Academic option for Express Entry

French

TEF: Test d'évaluation de français, including:

• compréhension de l'écrit
• compréhension de l'orale
• expression écrite
• expression orale

Overview: Education is a factor that no government can ignore. Canadian government would of course like people migrating to their country to be a strong part of their robust economy. And therefore, they would like only people with a basic set level of education to migrate to Canada.

What do You Need to do?

If you got your education in Canada, you will definitely have your certificate, diploma, or degree from either a Canadian secondary or high school, or post-secondary school.

If you went to school anywhere outside Canada, you will need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an approved agency. The report should prove that your foreign education is equivalent to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian secondary or high school, or post-secondary school.Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports for Canadian immigration purposes expire five years from the date of issue.

Level of Education	Maximum of 25 Points
Doctoral Level	25 points
Master's level or professional degree	23 points
Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a three-year or longer post-secondary credential	22 points
Three-year or longer post-secondary credential	21 points
Two-year post-secondary credential	19 points
One-year post-secondary credential	15 points
Secondary school	5 points

Your Express Entry profile will be incomplete without your Canadian credential or your foreign credential, as well as Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report when you apply.

Any Foreign education must get assessed from any one of the below organization

• Comparative Education Service (CES)
• World Education Services (WES)
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
• International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
• International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)
• Medical Council of Canada - Assessment for Specialist and Family Physicians
• Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada - Assessment for Pharmacists

Overview: The maximum of 10 points can be scored in this section, if you have secured a full time position with a Canadian employer, before having applied for your visa as a federal skilled worker. This would help you start your work as soon as possible with your Canadian employer.

What do You Need to do?

You would have to show a valid job offer from before the time you tried to apply for this visa. And this job offer should have the below listed features:

• It should be an offer for a full-time continuous work.
• It should be paid work.Seasonal work will not count.
• Seasonal work will not count.
• You should have an offer for at least a year of work
• The work should match the occupation listed as your Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC.

How to score the 10 points?

You can get the points for a valid job offer. Only under the following conditions, would the job offer be considered as valid:

If	And	Maximum of 10 Points
You currently work in Canada on a temporary work permit.	Your work permit is valid under both circumstances, that is - when you apply, as well as when your visa is issued (or you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) AND Based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), your work permit has been issued by the IRCC. The LMIA would have been applied for, by your employer. And further down, you’d have attached the LMIA to your application to the IRCC.AND You are working for an employer named on your work permit. In addition, they would have made you a permanent job offer based on the fact that you’re being accepted as a skilled worker.	10 points
You currently work in Canada at a job which is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment requirement under an international agreement, or a federal-provincial agreement.	Your work permit is valid under both circumstances, that is - when you apply, as well as when your visa is issued (or you are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit when your visa is issued) AND Your present employer has made you a permanent job offer based on the fact that you’re being accepted as a skilled worker.	10 points
You currently don’t have a work permit, or you don’t plan to work in Canada before getting a PR visa. OR You currently work in Canada, and you have a different employer offering you a permanent full-time job OR You currently work in Canada in a job which is exempt from a LMIA requirement, but not under any agreement - either international or federal-provincial.	An employer has made you a permanent job offer based on the fact that you are being accepted as a skilled worker AND That same employer has a positive Labour Impact Assessment from ESDC	10 points