To be chosen as a permanent resident, and to apply for a skilled worker visa in Canada, the basic requirements are as follows – a strong command of the English or French language, completed a degree or diploma, or received an employment offer from Canada. Other factors that influence the qualification include – work experience, age, valid job offer, and adaptability.
Only when candidates fulfill all these criteria, do they qualify for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
Each applicant is evaluated for an overall score of 100 points. If you score above 67 points, you will qualify for the skilled worker program. If the overall score is below 67 points, the candidates are not eligible to apply for a skilled worker visa Canada. There are 6 areas of focus:
- Language Skills
- Education
- Work Experience
- Age
- Arranged Employment in Canada
- Adaptability
Language Skills (total points = 28)
This section accounts for a total of 28 points, and it takes 4 language skills into account – Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Candidates are free to choose between English and French.
Understanding one or more than one language (English or French) is essential to thriving in the Canadian Market. This is the reason behind testing the candidates rigidly. The language tests used are as follows:
- For English: Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB)
- For French: Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC)
For the first official language chosen, candidates need to reach a minimum of CLB 7 or NCLC 7 in all four areas to pass the test.
For the second official language, candidates need to reach a minimum of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in all four areas. The table below mentions the number of points earned in each area for various test levels.
First Official Language
| Test Levels | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| CLB (or NCLC) 9 or above | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB (or NCLC) 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CLB (or NCLC) 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
*Candidates scoring below CLB 7 or NCLC 7 are not eligible.
Second Official Language
| Test Levels | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| CLB (or NCLC) 5 or above | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| CLB (or NCLC) 4 or below | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*Candidates scoring below CLB 5 or NCLC 5 are not eligible.
Education (total points = 25)
The maximum points in the education section is 25 points. The criteria for candidates with Canadian and foreign education are as follows:
Canadian Education
Candidates who graduated from Canadian schools need to present a degree, diploma, or certificate from the secondary level or higher secondary level.
Foreign Education
Candidates who have completed their schooling at a foreign Institute need to have an Education Credential Assessment (ECA), which confirms the credentials. ECA has to be from any one of the following organizations.
- Comparative Education Service (CES)
- International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
- International Credential Evaluation Service
- World Education Services (WES)
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
Work Experience (total points = 15)
The maximum score for the work experience section is 15 points. Past employment should fall under skill type 0 or skill type A or skill type B. Both full-time and part-time jobs are taken into consideration. The minimum number of hours per week required are as follows:
- Full-time paid work: 30 hours per week
- Part-time paid work: 15 hours per week for 24 months
The work experience will be taken into account if it was recorded during the candidate’s stay in Canada or abroad, either during their studies or while being self-employed. The points given are as follows:
| Years of Experience | Number of Points |
| 1 year | 9 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 6 or more years | 15 |
Age (total points = 12)
The maximum number of points for the age section is 12. There are no points for candidates under the age of 18 or above the age of 46.
| Age | Number of Points |
| Under 18 years | 0 |
| 18-35 years | 12 |
| 36 years | 11 |
| 37 years | 10 |
| 38 years | 9 |
| 39 years | 8 |
| 40 years | 7 |
| 41 years | 6 |
| 42 years | 5 |
| 43 years | 4 |
| 44 years | 3 |
| 45 years | 2 |
| 46 years | 1 |
| 47 or above | 0 |
Arranged Employment in Canada (total points = 10)
The maximum number of points for the Arranged Employment in Canada section is 10 points. The eligibility to pass is to have an offer letter with at least one year of continuous future employment offer from a Canadian employer under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
Such an employment offer for a minimum period of one year can fall under any one of the following categories – Skill 0, Skill A, or Skill B.
Adaptability (total points = 10)
The maximum number of points for adaptability section is 10 points. Based on the past experience and test performance, a prospective immigrant and the spouse can get 10 points by combining the criteria in the table below. This will help them apply for a skilled work visa in Canada easily.
| Adaptability | Number of Points |
| Language level (Candidate and their partner need to have a score above CLB 3) | 5 |
| Candidate’s past study experience in Canada | 5 |
| Spouse’s past study experience in Canada | 5 |
| Candidate’s past work experience in Canada | 10 |
| Spouse’s past work experience in Canada | 5 |
| Arranged Employment in Canada | 5 |
| Relatives with PR residing in Canada | 5 |
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