Skilled Worker Program

The Skilled Worker Program is a points based system used to grant Permanent Resident status to applicants who are able to demonstrate an ability to become economically established in Canada. The point system is composed of six (6) factors, in which an applicant needs to score at least 67 points in order to be eligible.
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

The most important factors in the Skilled Worker program tend to be an applicant's level of education, their previous work experience, and their ability to communicate in either English or French. If the applicant has worked or studied in Canada, or have a confirmed job offer in Canada, they may receive additional points. However, as the following examples will demonstrate, there is no single determinant to an applications success.
Example 1
A married couple from the United Kingdom with 2 children apply under the Skilled Worker category. The husband has a 2 year Bachelor's degree from a recognized university in England (and 14 years of full time study in his life), and has worked full time as a mechanical engineer for the past 4 years. The wife has only a secondary school education and takes care of the children full time. Both speak English fluently but do not speak any French, and are in their 40's. Their children are both under the age of 22 and unmarried.
Point Calculation:
Category Maximum Points
Education 20
Language Proficiency 16
Work Experience 21
Arranged Employment 0
Age 10
Adaptability 0
PASSING SCORE 67
In this example the applicant's have met the minimum points required and would therefore be eligible to apply as a family under the Skilled Worker program. Although they received no points for "arranged employment" or "adaptability", they received relatively high marks in education, language proficiency, work experience and age, which were sufficient to meet the minimum requirements.
Example 2
A married couple from India apply under the Skilled Worker category. The husband has a Master's degree from a recognized university in India (and 17 years of full-time study ). He has just finished his second year working as a software engineer in Mumbai. When his wife was 18 she came to Canada on a study permit and obtained a two-year diploma from a recognized university in Canada (and has 14 years of full-time study ). She has been unemployed since leaving school and is currently searching for work. They are both in their 20's. Their level of English would be described as moderate and they do not speak any French.
Point Calculation:
Category Maximum Points
Education 25
Language Proficiency 8
Work Experience 17
Arranged Employment 0
Age 10
Adaptability 9
PASSING SCORE 69
In this example the couple lost points due to their relatively low levels of English and French proficiency, as well as their moderate level of work experience. However, the husband received the maximum points available for education, and the application received 9 additional "adaptability" points due to the wife's education and her previous studies in Canada. They have met the minimum points required.
Example 3
A single woman from Morocco has applied under the Skilled Worker Category. She completed a one year trade certificate and has 13 years of full-time studies. For the past 3 years she has been taking care of her elderly parents full time. Immediately prior that, she worked full time as a chef for the previous 10 years in various restaurants throughout Morocco. She is 47 years old and can communicate fluently in both English and French.
Point Calculation:


Category
Maximum Points
Education 15
Language Proficiency 24
Work Experience 21
Arranged Employment 0
Age 10
Adaptability 0
PASSING SCORE 70
In this example, the applicant lost points due to her relatively low level of education, and because she did not gain any points under "adaptability" or "arranged employment". Although she as not worked for the past 3 years, she was not penalized for this as the Skilled Worker category considers work done in the previous 10 years. She therefore still received the maximum number of points for her work experience. The fact that she was fluent in both English and French meant that she received the maximum points under "language proficiency". She has met the minimum points required.