Eligibility criteria for federal skilled worker applications

Under changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, federal skilled worker applications are assessed for eligibility according to the eligibility criteria listed below. Note: This does not apply to applicants intending to live in the province of Quebec.

These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after February 27, 2008. If you applied before February 27, 2008, your application will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

Is my application eligible for processing?

In order for your application to be eligible for processing, you must either:

　· have an offer of arranged employment, OR

　· be a foreign national who has been living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student, OR

　· be a skilled worker who has had at least one year of experience* in one or more of the following occupations within the last ten years:

　* Experience is defined as continuous full-time or equivalent part-time paid work experience

　0111: Financial Managers
　0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers
　0311: Managers in Health Care
　0631: Restaurant and Food Service Managers
　0632: Accommodation Service Managers
　0711: Construction Managers
　1111: Financial Auditors and Accountants
　2113: Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
　2143: Mining Engineers
　2144: Geological Engineers
　2145: Petroleum Engineers
　3111: Specialist Physicians
　3112: General Practitioners and Family Physicians
　3141: Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists
　3142: Physiotherapists
　3143: Occupational Therapists
　3151: Head Nurses and Supervisors
　3152: Registered Nurses
　3215: Medical Radiation Technologists
　3233: Licensed Practical Nurses
　4121: University Professors
　4131: College and Other Vocational Instructors
　6241: Chefs
　6242: Cooks
　7213: Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades
　7215: Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
　7217: Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
　7241: Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)
　7242: Industrial Electricians
　7251: Plumbers
　7252: Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers
　7265: Welders and Related Machine Operators
　7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
　7371: Crane Operators
　7372: Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction
　8221: Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying
　8222: Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
　9212: Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

NOTE: the occupations above are all Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list.

If you are not sure if you should apply as a skilled worker, you can use the eligibility tool to get an idea of whether your application would be eligible for processing.

Federal skilled worker applicants who do not meet the above criteria will be informed of this and will have their processing fee refunded.

There are many ways to immigrate to Canada. If you don’t meet the criteria to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you may qualify under another category.