Skilled Workers and professionals are people whose education and work experience help them find work and settle down as Permanent Residents. With a large number of people retiring in developed countries like Canada every year, the need for skilled manpower is growing tremendously. A whole new world awaits skilled workers & professionals wanting to work in Canada.

Canada is on the lookout for young, self-motivated and well-educated skilled workers & professionals to contribute to its economic growth. Having a knowledge-based economy, the country is seeking job ready professionals who can fulfill the requirements and adapt in the rapidly changing job market.

FEDERAL SKILLED WORKER PROGRAM

This program has minimum requirements for skilled work experience, language ability and education. You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible. The Selection factors are based on minimum requirements; like age, education, work experience, a valid job offer, English and/or French language skills and adaptability. 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.

Skilled work experience means you’ve worked in 1 of the 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.

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
• You must be admissible to Canada.

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers.

FEDERAL SKILLED TRADES PROGRAM

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. This is 1 of the 3 federal programs managed through Express Entry. To be eligible:

• You must meet required Language ability
• Have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply
• Meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification
• Have a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year  

or

• Certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial territorial or federal authority. 

Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):

• Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades
• Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
• Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
• Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers

The major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations, and they are all skill type B. You must show that 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.

You’ll likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed for your trade. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training.

PNP

Canada has been introducing reforms to help make employment hassle-free and transparent for the deserving people. Work experience with proficiency in English, backed with relevant skills provides a solid platform for those who wish to be successful in Canadian life.

The unemployment rate is quite low, and Canada offers fast track Express Entry Program and PNP linked Express Entry streams in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. The country also offers Skilled Worker Program and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan and many others. Getting a work permit is a lot easier for the people who meet the comprehensive ranking system requirements.

The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a province. Each Canadian province and territory have its own unique Provincial Nominee Program and specific criteria. Each PNP has at least one immigration stream that is aligned with the federal Express Entry. Candidates can have additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points if they manage to have provincial nomination. There are more than 80 provincial immigration streams. For PNPs, there is a higher risk of refusal in cases where the application is not properly prepared. The standards are very high. The documentation and processes involved in successfully obtaining a PNP are complex and usually require legal expertise. Our experienced immigration lawyers will be able to assess your case and recommend a course of action to best serve your needs, be it for Nova Scotia, Ontario, BC, or another major province.

Quebec Immigration – Skilled Worker Program

Quebec has a special agreement on immigration with the Government of Canada. The province has its own rules for choosing immigrants who will adapt well to living there. To immigrate to Canada as a Quebec-selected skilled worker, you must apply in the following 2 stages:

Apply to the Government of Quebec for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec [CSQ]). If the Province of Quebec chooses you and gives you a CSQ, you must apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence.

The Quebec Skilled Workers is designed to identify the candidates who are most likely to become economically established in the province.

Skilled Worker applicants who intend to reside in this region within the province of Quebec are assessed under a different system than applicants who wish to settle elsewhere in Canada. Skilled Workers or international graduates in Quebec may apply under ‘Regular Skilled Worker Program’, also known as the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP).

Quebec’s Expression of Interest System and the Arrima portal

Quebec’s introduced an Expression of Interest System in 2018 which is called Arrima Portal. Under this system, individuals interested in immigrating to the province through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program must first create an Expression of Interest profile using the province’s Arrima portal. 

Applicants who are successful under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program are issued a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) and can then apply to the Government of Canada for permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will conduct a medical and criminal background check as part of its approval process.

In order to qualify for a CSQ, you must score enough points under the Quebec Immigration selection factors described below. A single (unmarried) applicant must score at least 50 points based on this system, while an applicant with a spouse or common-law partner must score at least 59 points.

Each year, Québec receives thousands of immigrants whose skills respond to particular market needs and make it easier for them to find work. Perhaps you could also have this opportunity.

Canada’s Start-up Visa Program targets immigrant entrepreneurs who has required skills and potential to build businesses in Canada that:

• are innovative
• can create jobs for Canadians
• can compete on a global scale

Do you have an innovative business idea? If you can get support for your idea from one of the designated organizations, you may be able to immigrate to Canada.

To be eligible for the Start-up Visa Program, you must:

• Have a qualifying business
• Get a letter of support from a designated organization
• Meet the language requirements
• Bring enough money to settle

While your application for permanent residence is being processed, you can apply for a temporary work permit to get to Canada and start building your business.

To apply for the Start-up Visa Program, your business idea or venture must get the support of one or more of the designated organizations listed below:

• Venture capital funds
• Angel investor groups
• Business incubators

Designated organizations are business groups that are approved to invest or support start-ups through the Start-up Visa Program.

Organizations choose which business proposals to review. Each organization has its own intake process for proposals and criteria used to assess them. If an organization decides to review your business idea, it’ll assess the potential of your proposal and whether or not it’ll succeed. If an organization chooses to support your business idea, it’ll give you a Letter of Support.

Contact

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416 566 8982
tanu@tdimmigration.ca