There are 60 programs available for people thinking about immigrating to Canada. This means that everyone’s experiences during the immigration process will be unique.
If you’re considering coming to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker program, you’ll apply through the Express Entry System. This program is for people who are selected to emigrate to Canada because of their skills and work experience.
To qualify for the Express Entry System, you must be able to prove you can support yourself and your family, have a job offer, or be eligible to work in Canada. If you don’t have a pending job offer, you must have at least a year of work experience. You’ll have to be able to speak English or French and have a post-secondary degree. You won’t be allowed to live in the province of Quebec, so plan to live outside of that region.
What type of work experience is required?
Your work experience must have occurred in the last ten years and have been full-time and paid. Full-time means that you worked at least 30 hours a week. It must have been Skill Type 0, A, or B on the Canadian National Occupation scale and the same type of work that you are applying for in Canada. However, if you have a job offer, these limits don’t apply to you.
Point system
Canada has a Comprehensive Ranking Program where immigration candidates are assigned points based on their skills and experiences. You must earn at least 67 points in the ranking program to qualify to apply for the Express Entry System. If you don’t get at least 67 points, you can’t immigrate to Canada.
Points are assigned based on your language skills, educational background, full-time work experience, age, job-offer status, and adaptability. If you have a pending job offer, it must be for full-time, paid work that lasts for at least a year; it can’t be seasonal in nature. If you have a spouse that is immigrating with you, he or she can earn points for you in the adaptability component of the system.
How to apply
To apply, submit your profile to the Express Entry website; some people find it helpful to hire a professional to assist them with this process.
Takeaway
Immigrating to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker program takes time and patience, but the system is straightforward and easy to understand. Canada’s immigration officials will take a number of factors into consideration when judging your application. The process is easier if you already have a full-time job offer when you apply, but it’s possible to immigrate to Canada without one. You’ll just need to have the prerequisite work experience and enough money saved to support yourself once you get there.
