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CIC News / 2013 / March / Important Federal Skilled Worker Announcements to Be Made in April

Important Federal Skilled Worker Announcements to Be Made in April

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Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has revealed that three long-awaited announcements regarding the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will be made sometime in April. The announcements will concern the following subjects:

  1. A cap on the number of applications to be accepted this year;
  2. A list of priority occupations; and
  3. Information on designated educational assessment organizations

With this statement, CIC has officially confirmed rumours that the FSWP will include an occupation list. Previous descriptions of the program have made no official mention of such a list. Details as to what occupations will be included on the list, in addition to how the list will impact the FSWP, will likely be announced in April.

The FSWP Thus Far

The FSWP is not currently accepting applications to its Skilled Worker category. The program will reopen on May 4th, 2013. Over the past year, the selection criteria for the FSWP have been reworked to better target the immigrants most likely to succeed once in Canada. Based on information provided by CIC thus far, interested applicants will have to meet the following requirements in order to be eligible to apply:

  • Have at least 1 year of full-time paid work experience in the last 10 years;
  • Demonstrate at least adequate-intermediate language proficiency in English or French;
  • Obtain at least 67 points on the reworked point grid, which is based on factors such as language proficiency, age, work experience, education, adaptability; and
  • Have foreign credentials assessed, authenticated, and given an equivalent value in Canada.

The Impact of an Occupation List

The FSWP has previously included occupation lists as a way of targeting workers with the skills and education that Canada needs most. No details on how the list will compare to previous years have yet to be released. However, an analysis of Canada’s labour market can provide some clues as to the workers the country needs most. At present, skilled labour shortages are particularly steep in the fields of health care and natural resources management.

In 2011, the FSWP occupation list featured a cap on applications accepted under each occupation. Due to the program’s popularity, some categories filled their caps in just a few days. To counter this, many proactive applicants prepared their files in advance in order to submit the very day the program opened.

“Applicants are now in a position where they must balance the risk of preparing an application for naught with the reward of submitting before caps close,” said Attorney David Cohen. “Caps are likely to be tight, and excitement for the program has been building over the last year, so interest is high. Individuals who feel they have skills that are valued in Canada may wish to get a head start on their applications today.”

When the FSWP opens in less than two months, prospective immigrants from around the world will clamour for the opportunity to have their applications assessed for Canadian immigration. Those individuals whose applications are approved will enter Canada better prepared than ever before to find employment and settle into their new homes.

To find out if you are eligible for the FSWP, or any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, please fill out a free online assessment today. 

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Comments

  1. Why are the Canadian Immigration being so REACTIVE in the quest to achieve their objectives. Every news letter is a new requirement and system that impact negatively on the hopes of prospective immigrants.

    I was successful in receiving a job in the mining industry by an employer, only to be turn down because the company was not successful getting a work permit. The skilled trades programme speaks to you receiving a job offer for qualification in that category and it failed a prospective immigrant. What is really going on ? This in my view is absurd and inconsiderate, it’s as if they are dangling a carrot before a rabbit with his mouth gagged.They announced they were opening the Federal Skill Worker Programme in January 2013, then it is now changed to May 2013. Now the new ammendment is your qualification verification to be announced in April 2013 , guess what the programme re-opens in May 2013. I found all of this to be laughable and a lack of vision. The time it takes for the announcement to be made, to when the programme will be open AND to the number of persons applying will certainly create a crash programme. It is important that the Canadian Immigration think sensibly in all of this.I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS CHANGES TO MY APPLICATION SINCE ALL THESE CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE and i am still doing so.Can you believe they are now thinking about choosing from a list of occupational skills for application acceptance. Now they have everyone keeping their fingers cross with this one . I AM REALLY NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL AND THINKING OF FORGETTING THIS! MAYBE EVERYONE SHOULD FOLLOW SAME AND PUT THEM BACK IN THE SAME POSITION THEY ARE COMING FROM. UNDERPOPULATED. What the canadian immigration authority needs to do is to have a proper assessment done and then report to the public rather than having their information published in segments and scaring everyone out their witt.

  2. Hello sir how do i sumit my application

  3. How can i include my CV in order to complete my filled form or how can i update my filled form.
    Thanks.

  4. I Am a citizen of Nigeria and love to work and live in Canada.
    I will be very glad if my application is granted.

  5. So you believe that it would be more difficult to enter to Toronto for example than previous years?
    Thank you.

  6. Dear David,
    I diagree with 2 points,
    1- how the person will be prepared if he don’t even know if his occupation is in the list or not.
    2- if i’m going to take the risk of my occupation not in the list, the foreign credentials assessment institutions are not announced yet. so we are on hold and can not start anything at the moment.

    Thanks,

  7. I applied for the FSW in 2006 and it was announced that all applications before February 2008 has been cancelled and money would be refunded, I have not heard anything since then. Should I apply again? And if I do, what is the guarantee that the applications would not be cancelled again and my money not refunded for the second time?

  8. i am most grateful to canada immgration for incrasing opportunity for outsider to come in help develop their,i am personally very much interested in going to live permanent and work in canada.thank you

  9. Thank you for your efforts

  10. Thank you for your efforts.This information is very important.And will be prepared to complete the application papers.

  11. the credential assessment agency can only take applications for assessment once cic announce who they are. This will create a sudden storm of assessments as this needs to be submitted with the FSW applications. The agencies who potentially will be involved have not been able to comment to me on how they will cope with 10 000 applications, where they will store the original certificates and transcripts they require. There is also a 4 week turn around time at least. I have little faith that these organisations have the infrastructure in place for a sudden influx of applications ahead of the May date… there is a risk they will even lose the originals of applicants if they do not have sufficient storage and staffing to process originals sent from abroad. in the case of original degree certificates – most of these for mature applicants are not replaceable and have sentimental value. I have big concerns for this new compulsory activity of credential assessment priot to application and no one at CIC is interested nor at the agencies doing credentially. I have raised this but there has been no reply from the potential agencies concerned about how they are preparing with staffing, and storage to deal with thousands of assessments which will fly in during April.

  12. thank u so much send the information and good services

  13. hi,
    i am syeda uzma i applyed my application novascotia canada may 2010 ,my file no is comeing sep2010, i subited full dacuments chc new delhi november 2010, since march 2012 inproses till , how long take time chc new delhi for my case, thankou

  14. Alot of talking is going on about the reopening of the FSWP and the acceptance of new applicants. But what about applicants who have submitted their application for over 5 years, what is the CIC doing about those people?

  15. How soon can a permanent resident after arriving in Canada file for a sister or a brother in law and how long will this process take?

  16. I am a permanent resident holder now i am in toranto,i have 15 year international experience of industrial electrical field now i am trying job without license,certification not getting job survival job not considering company please guide me

  17. I want to work in Canada within the field of sales because I was working earlier in Damascus, Syria, a jewelry store originally belong to me

  18. I did the ielts test in 2012 my score is 6. will i qualify under the new program.

  19. I would like to work in Canada

  20. I hope you give me the opportunity and I promise that I will work hard to gain your trust and prove my abilities

  21. I have applied in FSWP in the year 2007 through Islamabad High Commission and I received the response on which a file no. is given dated 25-7-2007.It is now a long period i do not receive any letter from the High Commission .Pls. guide me what to do.
    Thank.

  22. hi there,

    Greetings for the day.

    How to check status for file submitting? As I have no File no / Application No. the only thing i have is Category code n name.

    I what to know whether Canadian Immigration is refund the visa fees ??? if they have not accepted the file???? what is the process for that??

    Waiting for your reply.

    HItesh Makwana
    +91 9724431460

  23. Is Federal Skilled Worker Program Will Include telecommunication position in their Occupation List?

  24. sir
    i have one question in my mind ,which can be answer by your expert.i want to immigrant to canada and work their.asi have served in indian navy in marine branch of mechanical field for 15 years.and presently also worling in govt.office in india but still i want i should work in canada reserve force in naval branch .can canada govt is excepting ex-servicemen of naval force of other nation in theie reserve forces please let me know the procedure of joing in canada naval force. as i am now 48 years old and still desire to work in forces.

    with regards
    shash kant bhardwaj

  25. How can I comprise my CV in arrange to complete my filled form? or how can I update my filled form?.

  26. What sort of dission you have taken on the application(before 2005) . We have applied but since we havn’t heard any thing from your side,

  27. What sort of dission you have taken on the application(before 2005) . We have applied but since then we havn’t heard any thing from your side. an you are asking for new fresh applications what sort of drama you guys have been doing with the future immigrants. Who would like to apply under such volatile conditions which keep on changing every year. And ask for new and no respect for what they said in past

  28. Hello sir my name is Kahreem Idowu please sir I want to apply for FSW where can I submit my application am In Nigeria

  29. @ Wilson – Cant agree to you more. Seriously, they look confuse and do not have clue how to plan it. I did ask FCRO in January when they were originally planning to announced the details of assessing bodies, they failed to answer my question. Instead, they came up with dizzy details. Then, I approached FCRO again in March (as according to CIC website, the details would have been announced in March), FCRO did not come back on my email !

    I have doubts about the quality of work and professional attitude at these bodies. Now, you may want to think how they are running the country. I am also not sure what kind of immigrants they are looking for !

  30. The information you have been providing is very helpful. I wish it could also publish about visa applications dated earlier than April 2008, that have been returned,

    My application was filed sometimes in April 2008. I have read read a news that visa application filed beyond that date, will be rejected and the visa application fee be refunded, I still hope that this will also open for a chance to applicants like in my case.

  31. Hi sir I
    Does pharmacist include in new list of jobs for skill workers 2013 in Canada ? And what should I do for immigrate at First ?
    Thanks

  32. (applications before February 2008) Plz informed me what is the status of lawsuit ? Is it still in the court? or eliminate like to cic

  33. In 2009 Oct i applied in one year fast track scheam, i got refusal letter after three year for no reason, its being very upseting, for me CIC is just playing game and wasting people time. My point is if they cant do things is said time why they annoce it. I tried to contact but received no reply, CIC must improve their current system.

  34. hi sir,
    i have one question in my mind about work permit. i read the news about temporally work permit..i already applied for a tool and die maker as a instructor in one college from Toronto..at present situation can i get my LMO?is it possible for this kind of technical skilled field no?now they are going to take foreign workers are not and when they are going to be solve this problem?please let me know the answer..thank you sir..i am waiting for your good answer..

  35. Hi there, will CLB7 is required for overall or it is for each ability, Please clarify as it is not official announced yet ???

  36. I had PR for 5 years ( 2004 to 2009) and currently this status has been expired due to non completion of 24 months stay in Canada. I want to return in Canada with my famliy. I am humanitarian and development worker and working working in many developing countries. I am also registered with many Canadian organisations like CIDA, CANADEM, Oxfam Canada, CARE Canada etc. Please do let me know what way should I proceed to get PR again.
    Thanks,
    Shailesh

  37. Mr.David
    is 7 band in each reading,writing,listing,speaking is must to qualify in newprogram or over all 7 band required. plz reply

  38. We can come in that country?

  39. I’m eagerly to waiting to see the end of the drama thats been going on since last 1 year about the FSWP. When is this going to come to an end with concrete decision being made.

    Reading all the posts above i’m loosing my hopes for applying to this program.

    It is worth giving a try?

  40. It’s already April and this is the month we’ve been waiting for because you have announced last March new occupations will be included and we’re excited to hear from you the latest news regarding FSWP.

  41. wow.. when are they planning to release the update on the 30th of April???

  42. DEAR PEOPLE
    I AM VERY GLAD THAT JUSTICE DONALD RENNIE HAS ASKED SOME VERY TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM THE GOVT CIC ATTORNEY ABOUT THE LEGALITY AND ETHICAL ASPECT OF KENNYS DESICION OF PRESSING THE DELETE BUTTON ON PRE 2008 CASES OF IMMIGRATION. JUSTICE RENNIE IS VERY CORRECT IN ASKING ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS ASPECT OF SUCH A DESICION. CIC LAWYERS SAYS IT IS IN THE ECONOMIC INTEREST OF CANADA. TOMMOROW IF THE LOCAL CANADIAN DONT FIND JOBS WOULD THE CONSERVATIVES AND HINCHMAN, MAFIOSO ,HOODLUM KENNY DEPORT THE IMMIGRANTS OR BETER EXTERMINATE THEM LIKE HITLER DID WITH THE JEWS. PEOPLE THIS IS WHAT A GREAT NATION LIKE CANADA TODAY IS BEING VIEWED BY THE WORLD.

  43. This occupation list does change on occasion so if you have no experience in the above occupations, it is worth checking back occasionally to see if your occupation is now included.

  44. The priority occupations list determines whether there is demand for a profession in Canada. The FSWP only accepts applications for the professions on the occupation list. The cap on each occupation indicates how many applications will be accepted.