Frequently
Asked
Questions |
|
| What supporting documents
must I submit? |
Supporting documentation generally encompasses
evidence of employment, education, assets, civil status, and an absence
of criminal convictions.
Each visa office has its own specific requirements for supporting
documentation. It is advisable to seek expert guidance or get instructions
from the particular visa office which will process your application.
|
| Am I required to have a certain amount
of assets? |
| Skilled Worker applicants will generally
be required to prove that they have CAD$10,000, plus CAD$2,000 per
accompanying dependent. They are expected to be able to support the
landed family (the principal applicant and all accompanying dependents)
until employment is obtained. |
| Will my application benefit if I have
a close relative in Canada? |
| Skilled Worker applicants will be awarded
bonus points if the close relative is a Canadian citizen or permanent
resident and over the age of 19 years. The applicant is then referred
to as an "assisted relative". To qualify as a close relative,
the Canadian citizen or permanent resident must be the applicant's
uncle, aunt, brother, sister, parent, nephew or niece. |
| Is work experience a requirement? |
Work experience is a critical requirement
for a Skilled Worker immigrant. Applicants must be able to demonstrate
at least one year's work experience in an occupation appearing on
the General Occupations List. Work experience should be accumulated
after the completion of a formal education or apprenticeship in the
field of occupation, or in a related field of occupation.
Applicants destined to the Province of Quebec need only demonstrate
several months of relevant work experience.
Applicants with arranged employment in Canada are exempt from the
work experience requirement. |
| Must the experience have been accumulated
on a full-time basis? Must it have been accumulated continuously? |
Part-time work experience is acceptable.
It is assessed in proportion to a standard full-time working week.
For example, a two-year part-time position requiring approximately
20 hours of work each week, will be counted as one year of full-time
experience.
Non-consecutive work experience in positions involving the same duties
may also be counted, if the total work experience meets the minimum
experience requirements.
|
| How is experience in a previous or current
occupation evaluated when that occupation differs from the applicant's
intended occupation in Canada? |
| Under the "transferability of experience"
rules, experience gained in another profession counts toward the assessment
of experience in the intended occupation in Canada, only if the duties
performed in the former profession are consistent with those associated
with the intended occupation. |
| Is credit given for experience gained
during post-secondary studies? |
Experience gained as part of post-graduate
studies may be credited towards the occupational experience if: (a)
the experience has been consistent with the National Occupational
Classification (NOC) definition of the intended occupation; and (b)
the experience has been gained while pursuing studies at an educational
level which surpasses the NOC eligibility requirements for the particular
intended occupation.
The assessment of experience gained as part of post-graduate studies
is highly discretionary, and should therefore be presented in a manner
strictly consistent with NOC requirements.
|
| Must I have a Canadian offer of employment
to qualify as a Skilled Worker? |
| You are not required to obtain an offer
of an employment to qualify as a Skilled Worker. |
| Can I apply if I do not yet have the
required minimum work experience? |
| Applicants without one year of work
experience in an "open" occupation (6 months for applicants
destined to Quebec or Manitoba) are required to demonstrate arranged
employment. |
|
