Federal Skilled Worker & Skilled Trades Program

Toronto Employment Lawyers Advising on the Federal Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades Programs

Immigrating to a new country for work can be an overwhelming experience. The Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs help the Canadian government attract immigrants with specific skills and expertise necessary to meet the country’s economic needs. The application process for these programs is complex and detailed and can be delayed significantly by mistakes. The knowledgeable immigration lawyers at Sultan Lawyers can guide you through the process to ensure your immigration is as efficient and easy as possible.

Federal Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades Application Process

The Federal Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades immigration programs use the Express Entry application process. You must first ensure you meet the eligibility requirements, then complete the necessary documents and online profile. If you are deemed eligible, you will be accepted into a pool of candidates. Candidates are then ranked and those scoring highest are invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

Both programs require you to prove you can afford to settle in Canada as part of the application process. This condition will not apply if you can legally work in Canada and have a valid job offer. You must also be admissible to legally enter Canada. Lastly, you must plan to live anywhere in Canada outside of Québec. If you qualify for either program as a nominee through a provincial program, such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, you must plan to live in that province.

Federal Skilled Worker Immigration Program Requirements

Applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker program are required to have eligible foreign work experience, demonstrated language abilities, and meet minimum education requirements. To be accepted into the pool of qualified candidates, a minimum number of points is required. If you are moving with a spouse or common-law partner, they may also add to your points based on their language, education, and Canadian work experience.

You are assessed in each of the following categories:

• Age
• Education
• Work experience
• Valid job offer
• Language skills in French and or English
• How easily you will adapt to life in Canada

Once you are in the pool of candidates, you are ranked using some of the same criteria, but with a new point system. The top-ranked members of the pool are then offered permanent residency.

Work Experience

For the Federal Skilled Worker program, you must have job experience in a job that falls within one of the managerial, professional, or technical and skilled trades groupings. Canada uses a National Occupational Classification system to group your work experience. The government has specific job titles within each category that lists job descriptions. Your work experience must include the same duties as written in the lead statement of the occupational description and meets most of the other primary responsibilities.

There are specific requirements for your job experience to be eligible for the Skilled Worker program:

• Your experience needs to have been paid work and occurred within the last 10 years.
• You need to have at least one year of work experience in the job.
• You need to have worked for one continuous year, either full-time or part-time. It is considered full-time work if you worked 30 hours per week, for an annual total of 1,560 hours.
• You can work one or more jobs to meet the required hours.
• If you work more than 30 hours per week, only the first 30 hours will be counted.

Federal Skilled Trades Immigration Program Requirements

The Federal Skilled Trades immigration program is for those looking to immigrate to Canada based on their abilities in a skilled trade. You must have at least two years of work experience within the five years before your application. This work may be either full-time or the accumulation of part-time work. In addition, you need to have the job requirements in the skilled trade, except for any necessary certification. You will also require either a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification for your skilled trade.

While education is not required for this stream, you may improve your ranking in the pool of candidates if you have obtained a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian school or the equivalent from a foreign school. You must show language abilities in either English or French through testing, although the language requirement is less onerous for the Skilled Trades program than for the Skilled Worker program. As with the Skilled Worker program, if you are bringing a spouse or common-law partner, they can help you gain points based on their language, education, and Canadian work experience.

Work Experience

To qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, your work experience needs to fall within one of the following groups from the National Occupational Classification:

• Industrial, electrical and construction trades.
• Maintenance and equipment operation trades.
• Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production.
• Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators.
• Chefs and cooks.
• Butchers and bakers.

You will need to show you have experience with the duties set out in a specific job that falls into one of the above categories. Your experience is considered only to include work done after you could independently practice in your occupation. You may also need to be assessed by the federal or provincial regulatory body applicable to your trade to ensure you meet certain qualifications to practise that trade.

Contact Sultan Lawyers for Assistance with the Federal Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades Immigration Program

At Sultan Lawyers, our workplace immigration lawyers regularly work with people wishing to immigrate to Canada based on their employment experience. We will provide dependable legal advice and help you navigate the complicated process of applying for temporary or permanent residency as a skilled worker or tradesperson. To discuss your matter with a member of our team, contact us online or at 416-214-5111.

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