In January 2015, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a new electronic system called Express Entry to manage applications for permanent residence under certain economic immigration programs. You must first meet the criteria for one of these economic programs before expressing your interest for permanent residency under the Express Entry system.
In order to be eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program applicants must:
- Have at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation (National Occupational Classification skill lever 0, A or B); or
- Qualify for Arranged Employment In Canada with a Labour Market Impact Assessment and a full-time, permanent job offer from a Canadian employer; and
- Pass a minimum threshold of language ability in one of Canada’s two official languages, English or French.
In addition, Federal Skilled Worker applicants must obtain a minimum number of points based on IRCC’s immigration selection factors. Selection factors include education, language skills, work experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability.
Candidates who are ranked highest are issued an invitation to apply for permanent residency when the Government of Canada conducts regular draws from the pool of candidates. Candidates and their dependents must also undergo medical examinations and obtain security clearances as a part of the Canadian immigration application process.
