Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Points System is Not the Same as Express Entry Point System (CRS)
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) uses a point system different from Express Entry’s CRS. FSW applicants need to meet the FSW points system AND have a CRS score above the cut-off.
If you have applied to immigrate to Canada under one of the following 3 immigration streams:
- Federal Skilled Workers
- Federal Skilled Trades
- Canadian Experience Class
And you have opened an account at the Express Entry online portal and have uploaded your online profile with all the information required, does a good point total guarantee you will be able to immigrate to Canada?
Not necessarily. Not if you are applying through Federal Skilled Worker.
Do not be fooled into believing that a good point total in your Express Entry profile (say 480 points) is always sufficient to ensure a successful application. That’s because you must understand the vital difference between:
- Minimum Requirements: skills or job experience or qualifications that you must have in order to be accepted into the immigration stream
- Selection Factors: these are abilities, skills, qualifications, or other factors for which you are awarded points for your Express Entry profile. The selection factors are awarded points separately only under the FSW stream.
It’s true that you usually have to meet a cut-off minimum with your point total in order to be selected among the Express Entry pool of candidates, but you ALSO must ensure that you meet the selection factors for your FSW stream.
Grading the Minimum Requirements under Express Entry’s CRS
Let’s start with minimum requirements. Each of the 3 streams has its own particular list, and even if some of the minimum requirements overlap between them, some are unique to that particular stream.
Express Entry Historical Points Cutoffs by Draw
Express Entry Historical ITAs by Draw
Minimum Requirements – Immigration Streams
| Requirement | Federal Skilled Worker | Federal Skilled Trades | Canadian Experience Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work Experience | 1 year full-time (or equivalent part-time) paid work in your NOC skill type 0 or NOC level A or B during the last 10 years | 2 years full-time paid work in a qualified skilled trade during the last 5 years AND
Meet the job requirements of your NOC listing AND Have a job offer for full-time paid employment for at least 1 year, OR a certificate of qualification from the relevant provincial or territorial board. |
12 months skilled work experience in Canada in a full-time (or equivalent) paid job during the last 3 years. NOC skill type 0 or NOC skill level A or B |
| Language |
|
English Speaking & Listening: CLB 5 Reading & Writing: CLB 4 French Speaking & Listening: NCLC 5 Reading & Writing: NCLC 4 |
Skill type 0 & level A: CLB 7 or NCLC 7 Skill level B: CLB 5 or NCLC 5 |
| Education | If you went to school in Canada: certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian high school or post-secondary school If you have a foreign education: ECA from an approved agency that shows equivalent certificate, degree, or diploma from a secondary and/or post-secondary school |
No educational requirements but you can earn points if you submit:
|
No educational requirements but you can earn points if you submit:
|
| Location | You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec | ||
Express Entry’s Comprehensive Rating System (CRS)
Now consider how you can earn points in your Express Entry profile. First, the minimum requirements are assessed, and you are awarded points according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). It works as follows:
| Core Factor | Single Canadidates | Candidates with Spouses |
|---|---|---|
| Skills and Experience | 500 points maximum | 460 points maximum |
| Spouse/Partner | N/A | 40 points maximum |
| Skill Transferability | 100 points maximum | 100 points maximum |
| Total Core Factor Points: | 600 points maximum | |
| Additional Factor (see below) Points | 600 points | |
| Total Points | 1200 points | |
Core factors can be broken down as follows:
| Factor | maximum Points for Each Factor (with Spouse) | Maximum Points for Each Factor (without Spouse) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 100 points | 110 points |
| Level of Education | 140 points | 150 points |
| Official Languages Proficiency | 150 points | 160 points |
| Canadian Work Experience | 70 points | 80 points |
| Spouse or Partner’s Education Level | 10 points | N/A |
| Spouse or Partner’s Language ProFiciency | 20 points | N/A |
| Spouse or Partner’s Canadian Work Experience | 10 points | N/A |
| Education Transferability | 50 points | 50 points |
| Foreign Work Experience Transferability | 50 points | 50 points |
| Certificate of Qualification | 50 points | 50 points |
| Total Possible Points | 600 points | 600 points |
Finally, Additional Points can be earned as follows:
| Factor | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| Brother/Sister in Canada (Permanent Resident or citizen) | 15 points |
| French language skills | 50 points |
| Post-secondary education in Canada | 30 points |
| Arranged employment (Job Offer) | 200 points |
| Provincial Nomination | 600 points |
| Total | 600 points maximum |
Combining total core factors and total additional points results in a possible total of 1,200 points. In reality the cut-off CRS point total is nowadays around 450 points give or take for the skilled streams in Express Entry. (For Federal Skilled Trades the cutoff is significantly lower.)
Immigroup has the complete guide to the CRS
Grading Selection Factors for FSW Applications
Once you have met the minimum cut-off for your draw (for example, 450 CRS points out of a possible 1,200), if you are applying as a Federal Skilled Worker, you are then assessed according to your Selection Factors which are graded on a scale of 100. The minimum necessary is 67 points out of 100. However, getting 67/100 points, in addition to meeting the minimum CRS cut-off, does not necessarily guarantee you an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The higher above 67 that you can score on your selection factors, the more likely you are to get an ITA.
The Selection Factors for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) stream are graded as follows:
Language Points for FSW
| First Official Language Level | Speaking Points | Listening Points | Reading Points | Writing Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 9 or Higher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CLB 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Below CLB 7 | Not eligible to apply for Federal Skilled Worker | |||
| Second Official Language Points (Minimum points in all four skills) | ||||
| NCLC (CLB) 5 | 4 | |||
| NCLC (CLB) 4 | 0 | |||
| MAximum Points | 24 | |||
Education Points for FSW
| Education Level | Points |
|---|---|
| PhD Degree | 25 |
| Master’s or Professional Degree | 23 |
| 2 or more Canadian Post-secondary Degrees (at least one of which is at least 3 years in length) or equivalent | 22 |
| Canadian Post-secondary Degree of at least 3 years or equivalent | 21 |
| Canadian Post-secondary Degree or Diploma of 2 years or equivalent | 19 |
| Canadian Post-secondary Degree or Diploma of 1 year | 15 |
| Canadian Secondary School Diploma | 5 |
| Maximum points | 25 |
Work Experience Points for FSW
| Work Experience | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 9 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 6 or more years | 15 |
| Maximum points | 15 |
Age Points for FSW
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0 |
| 18-35 years of age | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| 39 | 8 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 41 | 6 |
| 42 | 5 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 1 |
| 47 years of age and older | 0 |
| Maximum points | 12 |
Additional Points for FSW
| Additional Points Awarded for | Points |
|---|---|
| Valid, full-time job offer from Canadian employer (before you apply for FSW) | 10 |
| Spouse/Partner CLB 4 or NCLC 4 | 5 |
| 2 or more years of study at secondary or post-secondary school in Canada | 5 |
| Spouse/Partner 2 or more years of study at secondary or post-secondary school in Canada | 5 |
| 1 year valid full-time work in Canada at NOC Skill type 0 or NOC Skill level A or B | 10 |
| Spouse/Partner 1 year full-time work in Canada | 5 |
| Relatives over 18 years old living in Canada as citizen or PR | 5 |
| Maximum points for these additional factors | 20 (maximum 10 points for all factors other than a job offer) |
Getting to an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
As we have seen, the Federal Skilled Workers stream is more demanding than the Federal Skilled Trades or the Canadian Experience Class streams – aside from the higher NOC Skill type and levels it requires – because in addition to the CRS minimum cut-off, it uses an additional screening process based on the 6 selection factors listed above.
This makes sense, seeing that the FSW stream involves supervisory, managerial, or professional job categories for which experience, education, language ability, and adaptability are key to ensuring that candidates can be successful at their new jobs in Canada.
So, remember you have to fulfill the minimum requirements. You have to meet the CRS minimum cut-off. And if you’re applying under the FSW stream, you must also score as high as possible under the additional point system that ranks your selection factors. It’s an additional challenge, but well worth the effort given the salaries and opportunities associated with NOC 0, A or B jobs. Don’t let 67 points keep you from achieving your goals. Consider both sets of factors carefully and prepare and upgrade your skills until you’re ready for that ITA.
Updated for 2020 with French language points changed to 50
