Who is Eligible to Obtain Employment as a Skilled Worker

Individuals eligible to apply as skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, language abilities in English and/or French, and if they meet the requirements of the six selection factors which demonstrate they are able to become economically established in Canada.

The skilled worker class is set up as point based system. Individuals are assessed under six selection factors.

To be eligible for application processing, individuals must:

• include the results of their official language proficiency test, and
• have a valid offer of “Arranged Employment”, or
• have pursued at least one year of full-time paid work experience during the past 10 years in any one of the occupations listed here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who-instructions.asp.

How to Apply for Employment as a Skilled Worker

If your application is eligible for continued processing, it will then be assessed against minimum work requirements.

Work experience should include:

• continuous and paid employment (full-time or the equivalent in part-time), for at least one year, within the last 10 years; and
• skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) list (http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/).

In addition to the above requirements, applicants are than evaluated on the six selection factors which determine their ability to adjust to the Canadian economy based on:

• their education
• their abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages
• their work experience
• their age
• whether they have arranged employment in Canada, and
• their adaptability.

Individuals must also show that they have enough money to support themselves and their dependents after they arrive in Canada.

For more information, visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/immigrate/skilled/apply-who.asp

What Are the Steps in the Employment as Skilled Worker Application Process?

After eligibility for employment as a skilled worker has been determined, a three-step process is involved:

1. Gather all the required supporting documents.
2. Complete the application for skilled worker class (IMM 7000).
3. Pay the applicable fees.

For more information on required documents and the application process, visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/EG73.asp