Overview

In 1967, Canada started the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) with the aim of selecting immigrants, from throughout the globe.

Between its inception in 1967 to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) was the primary route for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada. In July, the Express Entry invitation rounds for FSWP applicants will restart following a temporary hiatus that has been in effect since December 2020. In addition, the typical processing time for new applications is anticipated to revert to six months.

The FSWP is a favourable immigration route since individuals can qualify without Canadian experience or a job offer.

As a program administered by the Express Entry system, FSWP candidates receive a Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS). Approximately every two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducts draws for Express Entry, inviting the applicants with the best scores to apply for Canadian immigration.

The steps involved in applying for Canadian immigration through the FSWP are outlined below:

Step 1: Meet FSWP’s eligibility requirements

To be eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, applicants must fulfil the minimum standards for job experience, language proficiency, and education. Additionally, you must earn at least 67 on the program’s 100-point grid.

These are the minimal requirements:

• One year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid job experience in a speciality area defined as National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B during the previous ten years;
• Validated language proficiency comparable to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 in English or French in all four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
• Canadian educational certification (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential with ECA report.
• FSWP candidates must score a minimum of 67 points on the six immigration selection factors utilized by IRCC.

Step 2: Submit your Express Entry profile to the IRCC website

Follow the procedures on the government website to establish a secure IRCC account. The online application will urge you to create an Express Entry profile, input your personal reference code in case you have one, and provide your personal information.

You have sixty days to complete and submit your Express Entry profile; if you do not, you will be required to begin the process again.

After completing your profile, you may submit it and IRCC will determine your Express Entry program eligibility.

If you qualify for the FSWP, IRCC will add you to the Express Entry pool along with other eligible applicants. You will receive a score based on the job experience, education, age, and language proficiency

Step 3: Check for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence

The completion of an online Express Entry profile is not a guarantee that you will be asked to submit a permanent residence application. You must have a score that exceeds the minimal criteria for a particular Express Entry draw.

Completing an online Express Entry profile does not guarantee that you will be requested to submit an application for permanent residence. You must have a score that surpasses the minimum requirements for a certain Express Entry draw.

Step 4: If you obtain an ITA, submit an immigration application

If you receive an ITA, IRCC will send you a correspondence detailing the program for which you have been selected and the next steps. The system encourages candidates to submit applications under one of the Express Entry-managed programs in the following order: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and finally Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) (FSTP).

IRCC will want you to provide evidence of the information you included in your Express Entry profile. Officers of immigration will determine if the information you gave on your application differs from your profile. If they discover inaccurate or missing information, they may deny your application, deem you inadmissible, or prohibit you from applying for immigration for 5 years.

To make sure you’re still qualified for the program you’ve been asked to apply for, IRCC suggests examining the program’s requirements. You may need to recalculate your score before submitting an application if your personal circumstances change. If your recalculated score falls below the minimal CRS cut-off for your round of invites, IRCC advises that you decline the invitation.

Declining an invitation places you back into the Express Entry candidate pool, where you may be considered for future invitation rounds if you remain eligible. It has no bearing on whether you will be invited to apply in the future.

There is no assurance that you will be requested to reapply; but, by revising your Express Entry profile or obtaining a higher CRS score, you may increase your chances.

If you do not answer within 60 days, IRCC will remove your profile from consideration. To be eligible for future draws, you must submit a fresh Express Entry profile.

Other Immigration Ways

Another important immigration program is the PNP. According to the Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024, Canada expects to accept more than 80,000 PNP applicants as permanent residents per year over the following three years. In addition, IRCC continues to run PNP Express Entry draws every two weeks.

You may be requested to apply for a provincial nomination if you are already in the Express Entry pool. If you are nominated, your score will be increased by 600 points, and you will be eligible to apply for immigration as a PNP candidate.

In Conclusion

Since 1967, the FSWP has been a popular method of attracting immigrants to Canada. Despite the fact that the FSWP has been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, World Education Services polls indicate that interest in migrating to Canada remains high.

Canada’s borders have been reopened, and the IRCC’s Express Entry backlog has been decreased. When Express Entry drawings commence in July, the FSWP will become a major tool for attracting more talented immigrants to Canada.