What is a Skilled Worker Visa?

Categories: Immigration, Skilled Worker Visa 

The Skilled Worker Visa is the most popular way for people to immigrate to Canada independently. You do not need family sponsorship or a job offer to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa.


Skilled Worker Visas are designed to attract the skilled workers that the Canadian economy needs. While most immigrants still arrive in Ontario, more and more newcomers are calling Alberta home. Alberta offers Skilled Worker Visa applicants more job opportunities than other provinces, making it an ideal choice for immigration.

How do I Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa?

The Skilled Worker Visa program uses a points system to assess applicants. You must score 67 points to apply.

You can earn points from a variety of factors, including education, work experience and suitability to life in Canada. While not necessary to apply, it is possible to score bonus points for having a job offer in Canada, among other factors.

Before you can score 67 points and file an application, you must meet a few minimum requirements:

  • You must have at least a full continuous year of paid work experience, or the equivalent of one year in part-time work.
  • Your work experience must be in a managerial, professional, technical or skilled field. Low-skilled workers will not be successful.
  • Your work experience must have been within the last 10 years.

How much does it cost to apply?

The application fee for a Skilled Worker Visa is CAD $1040 per adult applicant. If you are successful, each adult on the application will have to pay the Right of Permanent Residence fee of CAD $490.

You will also have to pay for your medical tests, police clearance and language tests (if applicable) as part of your application. These fees vary depending on where you live and will be in your local currency.

How long does it take?

Unfortunately, the Skilled Worker Visa can take a long time for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to process. The processing time ranges anywhere from 6 months to 71 months. Shorter processing times tend to be in North America, South America and the Caribbean. Longer processing times are in the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and Africa. Europe and Asia have processing times between 24 and 48 months.

Where do I apply?

Usually, you must submit your application in the country where you are a legal, habitual resident. This means it may not be possible to submit your application in a country you are visiting, working in temporarily, or in illegally.

Further information can be found in the Skilled Worker Visa application kit.

Where can I find the Skilled Worker Visa Application Kit?

You can find the Skilled Worker Visa application kit online at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website. Here is the Skilled Worker Visa Application Kit from CIC.

You can also find more information on the CIC website under Skilled Workers and Professionals.

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