Determine your eligibility – Federal skilled

workers
As of January 2015, we have a new system to manage how people apply to this program. It is called
Express Entry (/english/immigrate/express/express-entry.asp).

You can use our online tool, Come to Canada (/ctc-vac/ee-start.asp), to see if you meet the criteria
to get into the Express Entry pool.

Minimum requirements

Skilled work experience

Your work experience must be:

at least one year (1,560 hours total / 30 hours per week), continuous full-time or an equal
amount in part-time,
paid work (volunteer work, unpaid internships do not count),
in the same NOC skill type (0, A or B) ,
within the last 10 years, and
at skill type 0, or skill levels A or B of the 2011 National Occupational Classification
(/english/immigrate/skilled/noc.asp) (NOC).

Full Time Part time

15 hours/week for 24 months

=
1 year full time (1560 hours)
30 hours/week for 12 months
= OR
1 year full time (1560 hours)
30 hours/week for 12 months at more than one job
=
1 year full time (1560 hours)

You must show that you did the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description
in the NOC, including all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

If you cannot show that your work experience meets the description in the NOC, you are not eligible
under this program.

Find out the NOC code, title and skill type or level for your job (/english/immigrate/skilled/noc.asp).
Language ability
You must:

meet the minimum language level (/english/immigrate/skilled/language.asp) of Canadian

Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 (http://www.language.ca/index.cfm?
Voir=sections&Id=17397&M=4032&Repertoire_No=2137991327), and
take a language test (/english/immigrate/skilled/language-testing.asp) approved by
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that shows you meet the level for speaking,
listening, reading and writing.

You must show that you meet the requirements in English or French
(/english/immigrate/skilled/language.asp) by including the test results
(/english/immigrate/skilled/language-testing.asp) when you complete your Express Entry profile.
Your test results must not be more than two years old on the day you apply for permanent
residence.

Education
You must have:

a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, or

an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an agency approved by CIC
(/english/immigrate/skilled/assessment.asp) to show your foreign education is equal to
Canadian education standards.

Six selection factors

If you meet all the conditions set out in the minimum requirements, we will assess your application
based on the selection factors in the federal skilled worker points grid. 1

The selection factors are:

your skills in English and/or French (Canada's two official languages),

your education,
your work experience,
your age,
whether you have a valid job offer, and
your adaptability (how well you are likely to settle here).

To see how many points you might get, read about the selection factors
(/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-factors.asp).

If you have skilled work experience and want to live in Canada permanently, use our Come to
Canada tool (/ctc-vac/ee-start.asp) to see if you are eligible for the Express Entry pool.

Proof of funds
You must show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family
(/english/immigrate/skilled/funds.asp) after you arrive in Canada, unless you:

are currently able to legally work in Canada, and

have a valid job offer (/english/immigrate/skilled/offer.asp) from an employer in Canada.

Principal applicant
If you are married or live with a common-law foreign national partner in Canada, and that person
also meets the above conditions, you can decide which one of you will apply under Express Entry as
a principal applicant.

A common-law partner (/english/helpcentre/glossary.asp#common_law_partner) is a person who

has lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. Common-law partner refers to
both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

Look at each selection factor and see which one of you is most likely to meet the eligibility
requirements and earn the most points. That person should apply as the principal applicant.

Other requirements
1. You must be admissible to Canada. Find out more about inadmissibility
(/english/information/inadmissibility/index.asp).
2. You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec (http://www.immigration-
quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.html).

If you have skilled work experience and want to live in Canada permanently, use our Come to
Canada tool (/ctc-vac/ee-start.asp) to see if you are eligible for the Express Entry pool.

Footnotes

1 These factors are part of a 100-point grid used to assess federal skilled workers. This
means you earn points for how well you do in each of the six factors. The total points will
show if you qualify for the Express Entry pool. The current pass mark is 67 points.

Date Modified:
2015-01-01

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