Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW): a plain-English guide

Who it is for

IRCC describes the Federal Skilled Worker Program as a program for skilled workers who have foreign work experience and want to become permanent residents.^[1]

IRCC's overview of Express Entry describes it as being for skilled workers with eligible foreign or Canadian work experience.^[2]

IRCC says it chooses skilled workers based on education, work experience, language skills and other criteria. They include managers and supervisors, and people in jobs that usually need a university degree, a college diploma or apprenticeship training.^[1]

IRCC says you must plan to live outside Quebec, which selects its own skilled workers. Work experience from Quebec can count if you can prove you do not plan to settle there.^[1]

Minimum requirement: skilled work experience

IRCC asks you to find the NOC code for your job first. To count, IRCC says your skilled work experience must:^[1]

• be in TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3;^[1]
• have the same NOC as the job you use for your application (your primary occupation), which may not be your most recent job;^[1]
• show that you performed the actions in the NOC lead statement and most of the main duties listed;^[1]
• have been gained within the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad;^[1]
• be paid work, in wages or commission (volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count);^[1]
• be at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week).^[1]

Part-time work can add up to 1,560 hours across more than one job. IRCC says it does not count hours above 30 per week.^[1]

Work done while studying may count toward the minimum if it was paid, continuous (no gaps in employment) and meets the other program requirements.^[1]

Minimum requirements: language and education

IRCC says you must take an approved English or French test and meet the minimum score in all four abilities. For this program the minimum in your first official language is CLB 7 (English) or NCLC 7 (French).^[3]

Approved tests are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French.^[3]

Results must be less than 2 years old both when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your permanent residence application. IRCC says it refuses applications made with expired results.^[3]

Education is a minimum requirement for this program. If you studied in Canada, IRCC says you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution.^[1]

If your education is from outside Canada, IRCC says you need a completed credential and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes.^[1]

The 67-point selection factors

If you meet the minimum requirements, IRCC assesses six selection factors and gives an overall score out of 100.^[1]

IRCC sets the pass mark at 67 points. With 67 or more you can submit a profile to the Express Entry pool; IRCC states that a score below 67 does not meet the program's requirements.^[1]

These selection points are separate from the CRS points used to rank profiles in the pool.^[1]

• Language skills: up to 28 points. First official language up to 24 (6 per ability at CLB 9 or higher, 5 at CLB 8, 4 at CLB 7); second official language 4 points only with at least CLB 5 in all four abilities.^[1]
• Education: up to 25 points, based on your Canadian credential or your foreign credential and ECA report.^[1]
• Skilled work experience: up to 15 points (1 year: 9; 2–3 years: 11; 4–5 years: 13; 6 or more years: 15).^[1]
• Age: up to 12 points, based on your age on the day IRCC gets your application (18–35: 12 points, decreasing by 1 point per year to 0 at 47 and older).^[1]
• Arranged employment in Canada: up to 10 points for a valid job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer, obtained before you apply.^[1]
• Adaptability: up to 10 points combined, for you and an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.^[1]

The adaptability elements IRCC lists are:^[1]

• your spouse or partner's English or French at CLB 4 or higher in all four abilities: 5 points;^[1]
• your own past full-time study in Canada (at least 2 academic years): 5 points;^[1]
• your spouse or partner's past full-time study in Canada: 5 points;^[1]
• your own past full-time work in Canada (at least 1 year, TEER 0–3, with authorization): 10 points;^[1]
• your spouse or partner's past full-time work in Canada (at least 1 year): 5 points;^[1]
• having earned points for arranged employment: 5 points;^[1]
• a relative in Canada aged 18 or older who is a citizen or permanent resident (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew): 5 points.^[1]

Proof of funds

Proof of funds is part of the minimum requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. If invited, IRCC says you must give written proof that you have enough money to settle in Canada.^[4]

IRCC publishes a minimum amount by family size, updated each year based on 50% of the low income cut-off totals. The current table on IRCC's page is marked "Updated July 7, 2025" (amounts in Canadian dollars):^[4]

• 1 family member: $15,263^[4]
• 2 family members: $19,001^[4]
• 3 family members: $23,360^[4]
• 4 family members: $28,362^[4]
• 5 family members: $32,168^[4]
• 6 family members: $36,280^[4]
• 7 family members: $40,392^[4]
• Each additional family member beyond 7: $4,112^[4]

Family size includes you, your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children and your partner's dependent children, even if they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents or are not coming to Canada with you.^[4]

The funds must be available both when you apply and when IRCC issues a permanent resident visa. IRCC asks for official letters from each bank or financial institution where you hold an account, showing balances, the 6-month average balance and outstanding debts.^[4]

IRCC says you must be able to legally access the money when you arrive: equity in real property does not count, and the money cannot be borrowed from another person.^[4]

IRCC says you do not need proof of funds if you are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer, even under the Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades Program.^[4]

How Express Entry works for this program

Express Entry is IRCC's online system for managing applications from skilled workers. It covers three programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.^[5]

IRCC describes the process in four steps:^[5]

• Profile: you create an Express Entry profile and enter the pool of candidates.^[5]
• Pool and invitation: IRCC invites the candidates with the most points, in rounds.^[5]
• Application: if invited, you fill out the permanent residence application.^[5]
• Decision: IRCC reviews the application and makes a decision.^[5]

Profiles in the pool are scored and ranked with the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), IRCC's points-based system. The CRS score is separate from any program eligibility test.^[6]

IRCC states that completing a profile or entering the pool does not by itself lead to an invitation, and that you can only apply for permanent residence after receiving one.^[6]

When a profile meets more than one program, IRCC invites it to the first one in this order: Canadian Experience Class, then Federal Skilled Worker Program, then Federal Skilled Trades Program. A profile that also meets the Canadian Experience Class is invited under that program first.^[6]

IRCC holds different types of rounds during the year: general rounds, program-specific rounds and category-based rounds, where the Minister sets a category to meet a specific economic goal.^[7]

If you are not invited within 12 months of submitting your profile, IRCC says the profile expires automatically. You can create a new profile after that.^[8]

After an invitation to apply

An invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only. IRCC suggests starting the application form right away so you can gather the information and documents before it expires.^[8]

You upload copies of the documents you used for your profile. IRCC says the system produces a personalized document checklist once the online form is complete.^[8]

The system shows the fees to pay, including the processing fee for you and your family members, the right of permanent residence fee and the biometrics fee. Fee amounts are on IRCC's fee list.^[8]

IRCC says people aged 14 to 79 give fingerprints and a photo (biometrics) for every permanent residence application, and have 30 days from the date on IRCC's letter to give them.^[9]

If you decline an invitation, IRCC says you are put back into the pool and considered in future rounds if you still meet the requirements. If you neither decline nor apply within 60 days, the invitation expires and the profile is removed from the pool.^[8]

IRCC bases its decision on whether you meet the program requirements and whether you are admissible to Canada, using the medical exam, police certificates and background checks.^[9]

Frequently asked questions