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Canada has limited the number of federal skilled worker applications to 10,000 per year. Canada immigration hopes that reducing immigration numbers will help Canada deal with its backlog of immigration applications.
The Canadian federal skilled worker scheme allows skilled migrants to obtain a permanent residence visa for themselves and their family if they can score enough points on a points test similar in some respects to those used by other countries such as Australia and Denmark.
Applicants must have experience in an occupation listed on the National Occupation Classification (NOC) list; No more than 500 applications per year can be lodged for any one occupation out of the 10,000 visas available each year.
This makes applying for Canadian skilled immigration a double-edged sword for many applicants; While fewer people can apply due to the reduced quota, the new rules should allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada to reduce the backlog that causes some migrants to wait a long time before obtaining their visa.
The federal skilled worker program is not the only scheme available for skilled migrants wishing to live and work in Canada. The country also offers the Provincial Nominee Program and the Quebec Skilled Workers scheme. These immigration routes may be a better way into Canada for some skilled migrants.
For more information on immigrating to Canada, see our Canadian immigration section.
