Skilled Worker Immigration Canada | Permanent Resident Skilled Workers Services

What is a Skilled Worker Application?

Skilled Worker (Independent Class) applications enable qualified applicants to apply for permanent residence in Canada without a job offer. These applications are processed on the basis that the applicant’s education and work experience contribute to the Canadian economy. The vast majority of Canada’s immigrants secure permanent residence as Skilled Workers.

On June 28, 2002 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) enacted a new Skilled Worker program pursuant to the passage of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) which has replaced the former Immigration Act. The new selection criteria and pass mark for Skilled Workers make it more difficult for most applicants to secure approval under this category. It is important to note that visa officers still retain the discretion under the IRPA to approve applications for individuals where the number of points awarded is not a “sufficient indicator of whether the skilled worker may become economically established in Canada”. This is known as “positive discretion”.

Canada’s Skilled Worker application program utilizes a points-based selection system to assess applicants. At present, a total of sixty seven (67) points are required in order to be approved for permanent residence as a Skilled Worker. This pass mark became effective in September 2003. Applicants and any dependent family members must also pass a medical examination and security check to ensure their admissibility to Canada.

What are the Selection Criteria for Skilled Workers?

To determine if you or your spouse or common-law partner will qualify for permanent residence as a Skilled Worker, please complete our On-line Consultation Form.

The provisions of the IRPA require a visa or immigration officer to assess Skilled Worker applications against the following criteria:

Max. Points Available:

Age (21 to 49 years old on date of application) **Applicants lose 2 points for each year over 49 or under 21** - 10 points
Education Points range from 5-25 depending on the Applicant’s education level – 25 points
Language Proficiency Up to 16 points are awarded for Proficiency in the First Official language (English or French) and up to 8 points are awarded for proficiency in the Second Official language (English or French) – 24 points
Work Experience Points are awarded for full-time work experience or its equivalent part-time experience. Points are assessed up to a maximum of 4 years as follows: 1 Year: 15 Points, 2 Years: 17 points, 3 Years: 19 points, 4 Years: 21 points. Work experience must be un an occupation listed in Skill type O (Management) or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification - 21 points
Arranged Employment If an Applicant has a job offer in Canada which has been “validated” by the federal government (HRSDC), 10 points are awarded. 10 points are also awarded to Applicants who are in Canada on Work Permits valid for at least 12 months – 10 points
Adaptability Points are awarded based on an Applicant’s spouse or partner’s education lever, an Applicant’s employment history in Canada, an Applicant’s previous period of study in Canada or for Applicant’s who have qualifying relatives in Canada – 10 points

What if I have no work experience?

Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of full time work experience in a qualifying occupation in order to be eligible to submit an application for permanent residence under the Skilled Worker program. If you do not meet this requirement, you could consider your spouse or common-law partner’s work experience background as an option.

For prospective applicants who possess insufficient points for work experience or other factors and who would like to attempt to locate employment in Canada and obtain a Work Permit (to score 10 points under Arranged Employment), please ask us for information concerning our Canadian job search services.

How do I make an application as a Skilled Worker?

Applications for permanent residence in the Skilled Worker class must be filed with the local full – processing Canadian Consulate, Embassy or High Commission having jurisdiction over your country of residence. If an interview is required in your case, you will be required to attend the interview either at the post where your application was filed or at the nearest satellite office.

Your application should be carefully prepared and presented so as to ensure that it meets the strict new regulatory criteria. Visa officers may refuse applications without an interview in the event they determine that an application fails to meet the Skilled Worker selection criteria as filed.

Processing times vary widely throughout the world. At present, applications for permanent residence filed by Skilled Workers take between eighteen (18) to forty (40) months in most cases, depending upon where the application is filed. Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced processing standards for Skilled Worker applications in the range of twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months. It is hoped that all posts, irrespective of their location, will soon be able to process Skilled Worker applications within twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months.

Please also note carefully that effective February, 2008, processing of these applications has been placed on hold pending release of new regulations which will modify the Skilled Worker Class. While applications are being accepted for processing and case numbers are being issued, the government has not yet resumed processing of Skilled Worker cases of November 1, 2008. Please refer to our web site periodically for processing updates on this and other topics.

Can my family members be included in my application?

Yes. In all applications for permanent residence the principal applicant is permitted to include his or her legal dependents. The provisions of the IRPA permit applicants to include their legal spouses, common-law partners, same-sex partners, and children in their applications. Common-law and same-sex partners must be in a conjugal relationship with the principal applicant and must have lived together for at least one (1) year. Children are eligible as dependents provided they are under the age of twenty two (22) and unmarried or, if over twenty two (22), have been enrolled as fulltime post secondary students since attaining the age of twenty two (22). In addition, children over the age of twenty two (22) who suffer from a physical or mental condition and depend on their parents financially may also be included in the application.

What are the government application fees for Skilled Worker cases?

The current government filing fees for Skilled Worker cases are $550.00 CAD for the principal applicant, $550.00 CAD for a spouse, common-law partner or child over the age of twenty two (22), and $150.00 CAD for children under the age of twenty two (22). In addition to these filing fees, the principal applicant and accompanying spouses and common-law partners must pay a “Right of Permanent Residence Fee” to the government in the amount of $490.00 CAD. It must be paid before the immigrant visa is issued overseas or before the applicant becomes a permanent resident in Canada. Dependant children of a principal applicant are not required to pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee.

How do I know if I qualify as a Skilled Worker?

Please complete our On-line Consultation Form for a free assessment of your credentials. We will try to complete our assessment and respond to you by e-mail within forty-eight (48) hours of receiving your information.

Skilled Workers Application Informaion