The Federal Skilled Workers Program is currently the most popular way to immigrate to Canada. Skilled workers are selected based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria.
This program is suitable for people who have a valid Arranged Employment Offer or one year of continuous full-time paid work experience (or equivalent) in one of the following occupations at the time that they apply:
- Restaurant and Food Service Managers
- Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)
- Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management
- Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
- Biologists and Related Scientists
- Architects
- Specialist Physicians
- General Practitioners and Family Physicians
- Dentists
- Pharmacists
- Physiotherapists
- Registered Nurses
- Medical Radiation Technologists
- Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists
- Licensed Practical Nurses
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Chefs
- Cooks
- Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
- Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades
- Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System)
- Industrial Electricians
- Plumbers
- Welders & Related Machine Operators
- Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
- Crane Operators
- Drillers & Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying & Construction
- Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
Experience obtained during the processing of an application does not count towards the requirement of one-year of continuous full time experience: Dash v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2010 FC 1255
People who meet the above requirements are then assessed on the basis of points according to:
- Education
- Abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages
- Work experience
- Age
- Arranged employment in Canada, and
- Adaptability.
Citizenship and Immigration has a test for whether you may qualify here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/assess/index.asp