Federal Skilled Workers were formerly known as the 'independent class' or the group of immigrants who entered Canada under the 'point system'.

There are two ways to permanently immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. The first is throught the Federal Skilled Worker Class of immigrants (FSW). The second is through a variety of 'provincial nominee programs' (PNP). For the PNP options, please go to the Provincial Nominee Program section on our website.

For the Federal Skilled Worker Class program, under changes that took place after June 28, 2002 when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) was implemented, it has become more difficult to qualify to immigrate to Canada under this class.

The Federal Skilled Worker class assesses a variety of criteria such as age, education, experience, language skills, and arranged employment and adaptability factors.

Self-Assessment Tool

CIC has spent a great deal of effort in making sure that ONLY eligible immigrants under the Federal Skilled Worker Class apply to immigrate to Canada. This self-assessment tool is a quick way to find out if you qualify to immigrate to Canada. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE IT TO ASSESS YOURSELF http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/qual-1.html [1]