The FSW stands for Federal Skilled Worker program. It is one of the four categories of the Express Entry program that deals with Canadian immigration. This program selects people who wish to immigrate to Canada on the basis of their work experience and skills. The Express Entry was launched by IRCC in January 2015. Federal skilled worker program of Canada has been one of the most popular categories of Express Entry among foreign nationalists.
FSW is one of the best pathways under the Express Entry program to get permanent residence in Canada. Anyone having a minimum of 1 year of work experience can apply for FSW. Your work experience should fall in the top 3 skill types of NOC- 0, A or B. NOC is the Canadian National Occupational Classification that is used to assess the level of work you have done or are doing.
The work experience will only be counted if you have worked for some full-time or the equivalent hours of part-time. Your business experience will not be counted under the FSW program. By full-time, the FSW program means at least 30 working hours per week. You should have had that work experience during the past 10 years. You require a minimum of 67 points to be eligible for FSW.
The points are given on the following 6 factors in the Canada Express Entry FSW program:
- Education
- Abilities in English or French
- Work experience
- Age
- Job Offer Letter
- Adaptability
Points are broken down into the above 6 categories. You will have to see whether you qualify for it or not. You can visit wemigratecanada.ca to know your eligibility for Canada Express Entry FSW.
How can you apply for Canadian permanent residence as an FSW?
After you pass the eligibility test under the FSW category, you can then submit your profile in the Express Entry. Express Entry is an application system for Canadian immigration. Once you make your Express Entry profile under FSW, you will enter the pool where there will be many more candidates like you. You will be competing with them based on the Express Entry points called CRS – Comprehensive Ranking System. Express Entry conducts a draw wherein they declare a CRS cut-off score. If you fall above the cut-off score, you will get an ITA- invitation to apply for permanent residence. After you receive the ITA you are supposed to submit all the evidence supporting the information mentioned in your Canada Express Entry FSW profile. You will be then asked to provide an ECA number to verify the level of your education. After gathering all the information, they will cross-check the information and let you know whether you are selected or not. You will have to file for PR within 90 days from your ITA. It is a long and confusing process so it is better to take help of an expert who can make your Canada Express Entry FSW profile and give you tips to increase your CRS score.