What does “federal skilled worker” mean?
Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada.
The term “federal skilled worker” refers to the category under which skilled workers apply if they want to live in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec.
Skilled workers who want to live in Quebec apply under a separate category. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers and therefore applicants going to Quebec through that program are known as “
Quebec-selected” skilled workers.
Will my fee be refunded if my application is returned or refused?
If you applied before February 27, 2008, the date the changes to the immigration law took effect, your application will be processed. You will not get a refund unless you choose to withdraw your application before it is processed.
If you applied on or after February 27, 2008, and your application is not eligible for processing, you will get a full refund. If your application is processed and it is refused, you will not get a refund.
What are ministerial instructions, and have they helped improve labour market responsiveness and reduce the backlog?
Ministerial instructions are a flexible tool that allows the government to align intake of applications to priorities for immigration, as well as reduce application backlogs and improve processing times. The authority for ministerial instructions comes from amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act approved by Parliament in 2008 as part of the Action Plan for Faster Immigration.
Ministerial instructions have been effective in improving labour market responsiveness and reducing the backlog.
The pre-2008 federal skilled worker backlog has been reduced by 50% two years earlier than anticipated. This means that a backlog that had reached over 640,000 people at the time these changes were made has been cut down to approximately 316,000 persons. Additionally, wait times for new federal skilled worker applications have been reduced from years to months – wait times for new applications are currently six to 12 months.
Are any applicants exempt from the mandatory language test? What about applicants from English or French speaking countries? Why would someone from England need to take an English test, for example?
There are no exceptions to this rule. We want to ensure that all applicants are evaluated against the same standards, no matter what their language of origin, nationality or ethnicity.
- Is there any hope left if I do not meet the required pass mark on the points system?
Yes, with proper packaging.
- How long does the process take?
The government promises 6 - 12 months processing time however, this is rarely accurate and applications tend to take longer. Factors that cause this include files already in queue, the class under which you apply, whether or not an interview is waived, and how complex your case is.
- Do I need to get a professional to represent me?
No you do not. But it can help prevent unnecessary delays & in some cases, significantly improve your changes for success. For a full list of the benefits of retaining a Canadian Immigration lawyer, see list of
Our Services.
