Canada has now lifted most of the immigration-related restrictions that it was forced to implement due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Prospective immigrants to Canada can now rejoice at the news of the IRCC resorting back to conducting all-program draws for the Express Entry Program. The latest all-program invitation round was conducted on 8th July while the previous one was held almost 4 months back.
The COVID19 situation forced the Canadian Govt. to implement restrictions in several areas; immigration being one of them. Canada had to slow down several immigration processes., in some cases, had to stop the admission process for many of its immigration programs.
Between March and the first week of July, Canada invited applicants to apply for the Canada PR Visa process only through the Provincial Nominee Program and the Canadian Experience Class. With restrictions being lifted across Canada, IRCC has once again started issuing invitations for all programs under the Express Entry Program.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is one of the main economic immigration programs managed by the Express Entry Program. The FSWP accounts for nearly half of all the invitations issued by Canada annually. As per the Express Entry Year-end report for 2019, FSWP applicants accounted for 58,173 admissions out of a total of 109,595.
What is the significance of FSWP in Canadian immigration?
The Canadian immigration system goes back to as early as the late nineteenth century. However, immigration at that time was mainly limited to admissions of white Europeans and Americans.
The changes to these discriminatory aspects of Canadian immigration was first introduced in 1962. Another major change was made to the Canadian immigration system in 1967. Canada introduced a points system, the first in the world, to rank prospective immigrants. At that time, Francophones and Anglophones of working age were preferred over other candidates.
The new points system made it easier for potential immigrants who met the economic needs and interests of Canada to migrate to the country.
However, it was only after Canada introduced the 1976 Immigration Act that Canada gained a bit of popularity among immigrants from around the globe. The reason for the newfound popularity was that the new Act focused on three main intake criteria: an evaluation of applicants based on their points for education, work experience and language skills. Nationality or ethnicity was no longer considered for eligibility.
At the beginning of the mid-1990s, skilled workers became the largest group of Canadian immigrants. Canada now welcomes 60% of all its new immigrants under the economic class. In light of its ageing population and low population growth, Canada is now in much more need of skilled workers than ever before.
Today, the FSWP can be regarded as the most effective programs for selecting candidates who have a greater chance of economic success in Canada.
How to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program today?
To qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- You must have at least one year of work experience in an occupation listed under the NOC 0, A or B category
- You must have a valid language score in either English or French equivalent to a Canadian Language Benchmark 7
- You must have either a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate or an equivalent foreign degree. If your education has been completed outside of Canada, you must have a positive Educational Credential Assessment.
- You must score a minimum of 67 points out of a total of 100 on the FSWP points grid
If you meet the eligibility criteria of the FSWP, then you may proceed to submit an Expression of Interest under the federal Express Entry Program. Based on information in your EOI, your Express Entry profile will be assigned a CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score. Applicants who score the highest are invited to apply for permanent residence in invitation rounds regularly held by the IRCC.
You can get additional CRS points if you have a Canadian education or work experience. Having a valid job offer from Canada can also significantly improve your CRS scores. You can also claim additional points if you have a sibling who is already a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.
It is very easy to calculate your CRS score to check eligibility for Canadian immigration. All you need to do is use a CRS calculator.