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Canadian Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry) Application Eligibility

How Canadian Federal Skilled Worker program Works

This program has minimum requirements for:

skilled work experience
language ability
education

You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible.

Canadian Federal Skilled Worker Selection factors

If you meet all the minimum requirements, we’ll then assess your application based on:

age
education
work experience
whether you have a valid job offer
English and/or French language skills
adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

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These factors are part of a 100-point grid used to assess eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You earn points for how well you do in each of the 6 factors.

The current pass mark is 67 points.

Selection factor point grid

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How we use selection factor points

We use the selection factor points to assess your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Once you’re in the Express Entry pool, we use a different system to rank your profile. We select the highest-ranking candidates from the pool and invite them to apply for permanent residence.

Canadian Federal Skilled Worker Minimum requirements

Skilled work experience

Skilled work experience means that you’ve worked in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
Professional jobs (skill level A)
Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

You must show that while working in your primary occupation, you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

Your skilled work experience must be

in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
within the last 10 years
paid work (have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)
at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)—you can meet this in a few different ways:
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
  - You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement
- full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

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Part-time work experience

Your skilled work experience must be paid work including paid wages or earned commission. We don’t count volunteer work or unpaid internships.

For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply.

We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.

Student work experience

Work experience gained while you were studying may count towards your minimum requirements if the work:

was paid by wages or commissions
was continuous (no gaps in employment), and
meets all the other requirements of the Program

Language ability

You must:

take approved language tests in English or French for:
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities
enter the test results in your Express Entry profile

Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.

Education

If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:

secondary institution (high school) or
post-secondary institution

If you have foreign education, you must have:

a completed credential, and
an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution

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Proof of funds

You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada, unless you:

are currently able to legally work in Canada
have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada.

FAQs: Canadian Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry) Application Eligibility

1. Who is eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program under Express Entry?

You may be eligible if you have at least one year of continuous paid skilled work experience within the last 10 years in a qualifying NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation. You must also meet the required language, education, and other eligibility conditions.

2. What language score is required for Federal Skilled Worker eligibility?

Applicants must take an approved English or French language test and achieve at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all four abilities: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

3. Do I need a Canadian job offer to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

No. A valid Canadian job offer is not mandatory for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. However, an eligible job offer can provide additional points under the program’s selection factors.

4. What is the minimum points requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program?

You generally need to score at least 67 out of 100 points on the Federal Skilled Worker selection grid, which considers factors such as age, education, work experience, language ability, arranged employment and adaptability. Meeting this requirement makes you eligible for the program, but it does not guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

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