If you have skills relevant to the in-demand job positions in Canada, then you may have a good chance of immigrating to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. International skilled workers who have foreign work experience and would want to immigrate to Canada permanently can have that opportunity.
To be considered through this category, applicants would have to have a valid job offer from a recognized company or firm in Canada, be eligible to work in Canada and be able to prove that they have enough money to take care of themselves and their dependents (if any) when they enter Canada.
You are also required to have a minimum of one year of full-time skilled work experience. Meet the language requirement in either English or French. Ensure you have completed and obtained your bachelor’s degree, diploma, or an equivalent certificate. Lastly, you should have plans to live in any other province outside the province of Quebec.
What are the different kinds of Work Experience Needed?
Applicants who are applying under this category should have work experience that falls under Skill Type 0, Skill Level A, or Skill Level B on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC). The work experience should not be voluntary, that is, it must be a paid full-time job or an equivalent part-time hour.
Also, the work experience should be within the last 10 years. To begin applying, you will need at least 67 points in the Federal Skilled Worker Point System to be considered eligible to apply.
The criteria to apply to include Your level of education, Your Language proficiency level or skill for English or French, Your age (the best points are given to applicants between the age of 21 to 30), Your adaptability (how well and how fast you can settle in Canada), and finally you will get more points if you have arranged employment in Canada or you have a sponsor in Canada. The Federal Skilled Worker point system is quite different from the famous Express Entry Point system.
Requirements to Apply for Work Permit
- You must be above the age of 18 years
- Have Your Passport
- Have valid documents that prove you paid your Canada visa fees.
- Proof that shows you have no criminal records; a police report is often required.
- Have a Canada visa application form.
- Show Proof of financial means.
- Provide a letter that clearly states the purpose of your visit or travel to Canada.
- Passport photograph that meets the requirement for Canada visa
- Identity and Civil Status Documents
- You will also need to show proof that you’d return to your home country when your visa expires.
- Medical Report
How to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program
The stages to apply for a work permit includes
- Applying from Outside Canada:
- Finding the Job;
- The employer applies for Labor Market Impact Assessment
- The employer will then provide you a job offer
- And then you can proceed to apply for Work Permit
- Receive the work permit and then begin working in Canada.
- If you assess yourself and you are eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker category, then you can proceed to submit your profile to Express Entry.
It would roughly take about 1 to 27 weeks to process a Canadian work permit. The processing time would be affected by the time you submit your application, and the office where your application is submitted.
Applying from within Canada
If you are going to apply for a work permit from outside Canada then you must:
- Be in Canada with a study or work permit, or your spouse or parents must have a study or work permit;
- You are a graduate of a Canadian university;
- Community college,
- CÉGEP,
- A public trade/technical school, or other eligible school,
- You have a temporary resident visa which should be valid for over 6 months
- Changing Work Permit or Visa to a Permanent Resident Status
If you are already in Canada as a temporary worker, you may be eligible to apply for bridging open work permit if your current work permit expires in four months or less.
This means that you can continue pursuing your permanent resident status in Canada. You can easily change your temporary work visa to a permanent resident visa through the following programs
- Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- Canadian Experience Class,
- Federal Skilled Trades Program,
- Provincial Nominee Program,
- Caring for Children Class
