Immigration to Canada

Effective May 4, 2013, individuals who are considering applying for Permanent Resident under the Federal Skilled Worker category should be aware that if their application does not meet the new criteria, it will not be processed.

About The Application Cap

Due to the large number of applications, CIC can only consider a limited number of applications per year. Between May 4, 2013, and April 30, 2014, CIC will consider no more than 5,000 complete FSW applications for processing. Within the 5,000 cap, CIC will consider no more than 300 applications per eligible occupation for processing within this same time frame.

This does not apply if you:

  • have a valid offer of arranged employment, or
  • are applying under the PhD stream (there is a cap of 1,000 applications in this stream, from May 4, 2013 to April 30, 2014)

Prospective applicants should ensure they meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • They have at least one year of continuous work experience in one of the 24 eligible occupations;
  • They have a qualifying offer of arranged employment (*note changes to the arranged employment process were previously published in this web notice); or
  • They are eligible to apply through the PhD stream.

The 24 eligible occupations:

  • Engineering managers
  • Financial and investment analysts
  • Geoscientists and oceanographers
  • Civil engineers
  • Mechanical engineers
  • Chemical engineers
  • Mining engineers
  • Geological engineers
  • Petroleum engineers
  • Aerospace engineers
  • Computer engineers (except software engineers/designers)
  • Land surveyors
  • Computer programmers and interactive media developers
  • Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
  • Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety
  • Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Medical laboratory technologists
  • Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
  • Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
  • Medical radiation technologists
  • Medical sonographers
  • Cardiology technicians and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified)

If prospective applicants are confident that they meet at least one of the above requirements, they must also meet the minimum language threshold with an overall score of 6 for IELTS, and obtain an educational credential assessment (if submitting a foreign educational credential).