July 05, 2008

Independant/Skilled Workers

Permanent Residence in Canada

This category is designed for individuals who will immigrate to Canada on the basis of their own personal credentials. To qualify for this category, applicants are assessed on a number of different "factors" about their personal circumstances and are award "points" for each factor. How many points to you need to qualify? The answer is 67. What are the factors that give you these points?

How Many Points Do YOU Get?

Calculating your points can be somewhat complicated. It is more than just a matter of adding up the scores. It is NOT recommended that you rely on your own assessment. There are many legal issues involved in the proper calculation of immigration points that must be taken into consideration when adding up your score. A thorough understanding of Canadian immigration law is required to accurately assess whether you have enough points to immigrate. It is recommended that you get a professional assessment to accurately calculate your score.

Here are some tips to get you started to give you a just an idea of what score you are likely to get.

Note that to qualify under the Skilled Worker Class, you will have to have at least one (1) year of full-time (37.5 hours per week or more) work experience within the past ten (10) years in one of the occupations listed in either Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The NOC was developed by Human Resources Development Canada to be a systematic cataloging of occupations in the Canadian labour market. The NOC is divided into five (5) bands:


Skill Type 0	Management Occupations
Skill Level A	Professional and Related occupations
Skill Level B	Technical, skilled trades and paraprofessional occupations
Skill Level C	Occupations of intermediate level, clerical or supportive functions
Skill Level D	Elemental sales or service and primary labour occupations

Subject to certain limited exceptions, only experience in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A and B are considered relevant for applicants in the Independent/Skilled Worker Class.

If you have at least one year of work experience within the last ten years in occupations listed under Skill Type O, A or B, you then have to be assessed according to various selection criteria by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Applicants must attain a minimum score of sixty-seven (67) points overall in order to be eligible to become permanent residents of Canada.

These selection criteria are as follows:


Education	Maximum 25 Points
Official Languages	Maximum 24 Points
Experience	Maximum 21 Points
Arranged Employment	Maximum 10 Points
Age	Maximum 10 Points
Adaptability	Maximum 10 Points


	TOTAL POINTS	100 Points
	Points to Pass	67 Points

It is important to note that if an applicant scores below sixty-seven (67) points, he/she may still may be approved in cases where the immigration officer assessing the case exercises of positive discretion in the applicant's favor. The Immigration Regulations permits an immigration offer to exercise positive discretion in such a case, if the officer is of the opinion that it is likely that the applicant will economically establish himself/herself in Canada. Beware however, that the Immigration Regulations gives an immigration officer the power to exercise negative discretion in cases where the applicant scores 67 points or above in the officer forms the opinion that the applicant will unlikely economically establish himself/herself in Canada.

Are you Canadian and wish to go to the U.S? VisaPlace.com also has designed a special section just for Canadians who are interested in working in the U.S. Check out our section on U.S Immigration for Canadians and see what NAFTA can do for you!

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Immigration Law in Toronto, Ontario Canada	Copyright© 2008 Niren & Associates Ltd. \| All Rights Reserved

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