Immigration Visa OnlineA Blog of Mr. Ajay Sharma, Immigration and visas Specialist

Federal skilled worker class- Listed occupations

Applications filed – after February 27th 2008, under federal skilled workers class can apply under three options, and most popular being where they are assessed for eligibility according to a point based system. Such applications are assessed based against six selection factors in the skilled worker point’s grid. The six selection factors are: Education; abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages; work experience; age; whether the applicant has an arranged employment in Canada, and finally adaptability.

Most critical requirement to apply under this option is that the skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the following occupations. Do read my simplified review of these listed and get a better understanding of who or who may not qualify to apply for permanent resident visa under the federal skilled worker class.

0111: Financial Managers
0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers
0311: Managers in Health Care
0631: Restaurant and Food Service Managers
0632: Accommodation Service Managers
0711: Construction Managers
1111: Financial Auditors and Accountants
2113: Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
2143: Mining Engineers
2144: Geological Engineers
2145: Petroleum Engineers
3111: Specialist Physicians
3112: General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3141: Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists
3143: Occupational Therapists
3142: Physiotherapists
3151: Head Nurses and Supervisors
3152: Registered Nurses
3215: Medical Radiation Technologists
3233: Licensed Practical Nurses
4121: University Professors
4131: College and Other Vocational Instructors
6241: Chefs
6242: Cooks
7213: Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades
7215: Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
7217: Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
7241: Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)
7242: Industrial Electricians
7251: Plumbers
7252: Steamfitters, Pipe fitters and Sprinkler System Installers
7265: Welders and Related Machine Operators
7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
7371: Crane Operators
7372: Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction
8221: Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying
8222: Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
9212: Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

The four digit codes mentioned prior to Occupation is the applicable code as per the Canadian National Occupational Classification list.

My simplified review of listed occupations

A first glance review of the list is very encouraging. Following broad categories of listed and permitted occupations immediately come to mind:

• Computer and Information technology Engineers and professionals
• Financial auditors, accountants and managers; mostly they will means Chartered accountants, cost accountants. Company secretaries, financial and investment analyst
• Health occupations and professions
• Managerial occupations in Hospitality sector like accommodations and Restaurant managers
• Trades occupations in Hospitality sector like Cooks and chefs
• Engineering and Supervisory trade occupations in mining, oil, Gas and petroleum
• Engineering and  supervisory trade occupations in construction and civil
• University professors and college and vocational teachers

Conclusions from above summary of broad categories of listed occupations:

• Majority of identified occupations has many sub-occupation mentions and many applicants may actually be qualifying though their occupation does not appear to be figuring on the face of mentioned occupations. A clear and comprehensive understanding of NOC and its related aspects is critically and very important.
• Almost all general skilled occupations like Sales, marketing, administration, teachers, human resources, bookkeeping etc do not appear in this list and hence are not likely to succeed  for immigration under point based system announced for federal general skills program.
• It is highly unlikely that they will be able to get an arranged employment offer from a Canadian employer as enough human resources under the general skills occupations are available locally and within Canada.
• It will be best that they look for filing immigration applications to another country like Australia, UK, New Zealand, Denmark etc
• Applicants who are high net worth individual and with business experience should consider filing their applications under one of the business and investor visas options.

Canada Federal skilled workers Class: Selection criteria

Employed – workers, professionals and tradesperson – are eligible to apply for Canadian permanent resident visa. Their applications are assessed based against six selection factors in the skilled worker point’s grid. The six selection factors are: Education; abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages; work experience; age; whether the applicant has an arranged employment in Canada, and finally adaptability.

It is important to note that one need not meet requirements of each of the selection factors. Each factor has certain assigned points. The applicant’s profile – against six factors- is assessed and points credited. An applicant may file an application and will get a positive assessment is he is getting minimum pass mark fixed as per Minister’s instructions.

New set of selection instructions is applicable to Federal skilled worker applications received on or after February 27, 2008.

An application is eligible for processing if:

1. The applicant has at least one year of experience in one or more of Listed occupations OR
2. The applicant has an arranged offer of employment and in such a case the applicants’ experience may or may not appear in the listed occupations and he may or may not have at least one year of experience  in one or more of listed occupations OR
3. The applicant is a foreign national who has been living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student

An applicant is considered eligible to apply as a federal skilled worker if he meets the following minimum requirements:

• He has at least one year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment within the last ten years AND
• His work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list
• His applications will be assessed based against six selection factors in the skilled worker point’s grid. The six selection factors are: Education; abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages; work experience; age; whether you have arranged employment in Canada, and your adaptability.

Applicants who are not eligible to apply as per above guidelines may apply in two other categories, provided they meet some minimum requirements.

I- Arranged employment

Requirements for a valid offer of employment are different.

For applicants’ currently working in Canada:

• The current employer must have made an offer to give the applicant a permanent job if he is accepted as a federal skilled worker, and
• The temporary work permit must be valid both when he applies for a permanent resident visa and when the visa is issued.

In addition it is required that

• The work permit must have been confirmed by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) through a positive labor market opinion or
• The must be in a category that is exempt from an Arranged Employment Opinion

For all other cases, the applicant must not be working in Canada and the applicant can apply if he has an offer of employment; such an offer is valid if the prospective employer

• Has made an offer to hire the on an indeterminate basis if he is accepted as a federal skilled worker, and
• Has obtained a positive Arranged Employment Opinion from HRSDC , which must be arranged by the employer
• And the applicant meets all required Canadian licensing or regulatory standards associated with the job.

II- Foreign national - Living and working legally or studying as an international student

The applicant may also apply as a federal skilled worker if he has been living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student.

Additional comments

In my opinion an applicant needs careful and detailed understanding of the National occupational classifications and various occupational sub-titles to decide whether or not he is eligible to apply for based on his own qualifications and experience credentials.

If not qualified, he may be considering an option to apply in other two categories if he qualifies. It is important to understand and appreciate that getting an arranged offer of employment has certain fixed set of requirements for the Canadian employer and getting it is not such an easier possibility.

There are agencies and consultants who offer to organize such offers of arranged employment. They are mostly misguiding prospective migrants and in majority of cases such organizes offers would not meet the scrutiny of Citizenship and Immigration, Canada.

If the applicant is not qualified under the point system under the federal skilled worker class a, he should not look for short-cuts to relocation. Rather he should look around and may find that he is qualified for immigration options other then Canada. He should pursue them as well rather then waste his time and resources on exploring an opportunity that is not qualified for in the first place.