Skilled Visa

Want to live and work in Canada? The Skilled Worker Visa is the most popular Canadian Visa. The program aims to attract newcomers with transferable skills to start a new life in Canada. Up to 116,000 skilled worker visas will be made available in 2007-2008.

Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily to help Canadian employers address skill shortages. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CC) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) ensure that these workers will support economic growth in Canada and create more opportunities for all Canadian job seekers.

In almost all cases, you must have a valid work permit to work in Canada. Skilled Workers (Independent Immigrants) are accepted for entry into Canada depending on the number of points they score out of 100 in the following categories:

Category
Maximum Points
Education
25
Language Proficiency
24
Work Experience
21
Arranged Employment
10
Age
10
Adaptability
10
TOTAL POINTS (Maximum)
100
PASSING SCORE
67

Furthermore, a skilled worker is someone who has at repgate least one (1) year of full-time work experience within the last ten (10) years in one of the occupations listed in either Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B. The following changes have been made to the Canada Immigration point system for skilled workers: 

  • More points have been allocated for applicants with a trade certificate or a second degree.
  • The maximum number of points available for proficiency in both English and French combined has been increased from 20 to 24. Workers who are proficient in both languages will score more points. A new assessment level that recognizes “basic proficiency” has been added to the three existing levels (high, moderate and none). These changes are expected to result in more bilingual (English and French) workers being admitted to Canada.
  • The total number of points available for “experience” has been reduced to 21 from 25, and more points will be awarded for one to two years of work experience. This is expected to attract younger workers who may have higher levels of education but fewer years of experience.
  • The “age factor” has been adjusted upwards, so that workers between the ages of 21 and 49 will score the maximum number of points (10 points). This is expected to make it easier for older workers to gain entry to Canada under the Skilled Worker Class.
  • The pass mark has been set at 67 points to respond to concerns raised by the provinces and territories and others that a high pass would bar many skilled immigrants.
  • Applicants must provide a proof of funds that he/she will bring to Canada for their initial expense. Overall, the changes to the Skilled Worker Category are expected to open up the category to a broader range of applicants with the skills and education needed to drive economic growth and innovation in Canada.