Federal Skilled Worker Program
What is this program?
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) is the original way to come to Canada as a skilled professional. Unlike the Canadian Experience Class, you don't need any Canadian work history — your foreign work experience is what counts. It's the most common pathway for people applying from outside Canada. There's a pass-fail "67-point" test plus the Express Entry ranking.
Who is it for?
- You have at least 1 year of continuous skilled work experience abroad (or in Canada)
- The job was a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation
- You have at least a high school diploma — though more education helps a lot
- You took an approved English or French language test in the last 2 years
- You plan to live anywhere in Canada except Quebec
What does it lead to?
Permanent residence. Like CEC, FSW feeds into the Express Entry pool. Your CRS score determines whether you'll be invited to apply. IRCC's current estimate is about 7 months after you send a complete application.
Primary requirements
- 1 year of continuous skilled work experience (TEER 0–3) in the last 10 years.
- Language test result: CLB 7 in all four abilities (listening, reading, writing, speaking). Test must be IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF.
- A high school diploma at minimum — your foreign credential must be assessed by an IRCC-approved organisation (WES, ICAS, IQAS, ICES, or MCC).
- You must score at least 67 of 100 on the FSW selection-factor grid (age, education, work, language, adaptability, Canadian job offer).
- Proof of settlement funds (the amount depends on family size; updated yearly by IRCC).
- Must plan to live outside Quebec.
What you'll need to apply
- Valid passport
- Language test results (within 2 years)
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) — required for FSW
- Reference letters from each employer (role, hours, duties, dates)
- Proof of settlement funds (bank statements, investment statements)
- Police certificates from every country you've lived in for 6+ months as an adult
- A medical exam (IRCC will tell you when)
Where to start
Check if you match this program (free)
Or visit the official federal · express entry page for Federal Skilled Worker Program to read the government's own requirements.
If you want professional advice before applying, work with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a Canadian immigration lawyer.
How we keep this page current
- Hourly source check. A scheduled job checks the official source page above every hour and looks for changes.
- Change alert. When the page changes, we record it and review the program rules again.
- Human review.A person checks the change, updates this page if needed, and updates the “Page last edited” date.
- Limits. Some government pages are harder to check automatically. The official source link is still the final source. Open it before you act on anything important.
- Attribution. We write the summary above in our own words from the official government source. Short quotes used for comparison fall under fair dealing under the Canadian Copyright Act. Crown copyright in the underlying government text stays with His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and the province or territory — the government page remains the official version.
Informational only — not immigration advice. Always confirm requirements on the official government page.