HOW
TO ASSESS WHETHER
OR NOT YOU QUALIFY
If you are married, either you or your
spouse, but not both of you, may be the principal applicant. Once you decide who the
principal applicant is, the other spouse will be seen as the dependent. You should be
assessing the principal applicant against the nine factors that are set out below.
The most important factor is your intended occupation, i.e., the occupation in which you have experience and are qualified, and which you are prepared to follow in Canada. A number of other selection factors, including experience and the education and training factor (ETF), are based upon this occupation.
Your occupation must be listed on the accompanying General Occupations List (see Important Words to Know) unless you have arranged employment. It is important to note that job titles in your country may not correspond to the same position in Canada. All occupations are assessed against Canadian standards for that occupation. Many require licensing and you should provide evidence that your qualifications meet the required standards when you submit your application.
The attached General Occupations List shows the National Occupation Code (NOC) for each occupation. If you would like to review detailed descriptions of these occupations, note the first four digits of the NOC code for the occupation you are interested in and then review it on the Internet site at: http://www.eoa-hrdc.com/3519/menu/occnoc.stm.
You will find instructions on the following pages on how to estimate your points. This will help you assess your chances of qualifying.
If you score fewer than 60 points, your application may not merit further consideration.
Points are based on:
SELF ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET:
HOW TO ESTIMATE YOUR POINTS
This section helps you determine your chances of qualifying for permanent residence in Canada. It explains the 9 factors on which points are based and details how you can estimate the number of points you would earn for each factor. It also provides a self-assessment worksheet you can use to tally your results. If you score fewer than 60 points based on these 9 factors, your application may not merit further consideration.
Based on this self-assessment, you can decide if this is an appropriate time for you to apply. It is important that you make a careful assessment because you must pay certain fees and some of these fees (for example, the Cost Recovery fee) are non-refundable, even if your application is refused. Read the explanation for each factor, then fill in your score on the work sheet.
Factor 1: Age
(maximum 10 points)
Points are given for your age at the time your application is received.
Calculating age points
| Age | Total Points |
| 16 | 0 |
| 17 | 2 |
| 18 | 4 |
| 19 | 6 |
| 20 | 8 |
| 21-44 | 10 |
| 45 | 8 |
| 46 | 6 |
| 47 | 4 |
| 48 | 2 |
| 49 and over | 0 |
SCORE |
Factor 2: Education
(maximum 16 points)
| You have not completed secondary school. | 0 |
| You have completed secondary school but in a program that does not lead to entrance to university, or does not include trade or occupational certification. | 5 |
| Secondary school completed in a program that may lead to entrance to university. | 10 |
| Secondary school completed in a program that includes trade or occupational certification. | 10 |
| Post-secondary program completed (for example, college, trade school or apprenticeship), which required, as a condition of admission, secondary schooling at a level that does not ordinarily allow for entrance to a university (the program must have included at least one year of full-time classroom study). | 10 |
| Post-secondary program completed (for example, college, trade school or apprenticeship), which required, as a condition of admission, secondary schooling at a level that allows for entrance to a university (the program must have included at least one year of full-time classroom study). | 13 |
| University degree in a program that requires at least three years of full-time study. | 15 |
| Second or third-level university degree (for example, Master's, Ph.D.). | 16 |
SCORE |
Factor 3: Occupation
(maximum 10 points)
You must obtain at least one point under Factor 3 to be considered. If you do not score at least one point, you must have "arranged employment".
| Review the enclosed General Occupations List. If your intended occupation is on the list, then give yourself the appropriate points. If you cannot find your occupation, check whether there is another occupation for which you are qualified and experienced. | As |
| If there is no occupation listed for which you are qualified. | 0 |
| If you have arranged employment and your ETF is 15 or more. | 10 |
SCORE |
Factor 4: Education/Training Factor
(maximum 18 points)
Education/Training Factor (ETF) refers to the length of training, education, and/or apprenticeship required to work in your occupation in Canada.
| If your occupation is listed in the General Occupations List, give yourself the number of points listed under the column marked "ETF" for that occupation. If your occupation is not on the General Occupations List, but you have "arranged employment" validated by a Human Resources Canada Centre, the ETF points will be shown on the notification of arranged employment. | As |
SCORE |
Factor 5: Arranged employment
(10 points)
"Arranged employment" is a guaranteed job offer from a Canadian employer that has been validated by a Human Resources Canada Centre certifying that no suitably qualified Canadian or permanent resident is available to fill the position.
| If you have arranged employment. (If you have arranged employment and the ETF [Factor 4] is 15 or more, you may also give yourself 10 points under Factor 3.) | 10 |
| If you are a member of the clergy and have a letter from a congregation in Canada offering you a permanent salaried position. | 10 |
| If you have a Family Business Job Offer from a close family member in Canada, which has already been approved by their local Canada Immigration Centre, give yourself 10 points. | 10 |
SCORE |
Factor 6: Work experience
(maximum 8 points)
You must have the equivalent of at least one year's experience in your occupation to score points in this factor. If you do not, your application will be refused and you must either wait until you gain the required experience or have arranged a job validated by a Human Resources Canada Centre, which states that the prospective employer in Canada does not require you to have a year of experience.
The number of points depends on:
Calculate the number of points you would receive for experience. Find the point value that corresponds to your ETF (Factor 4), and read across to the number of years of experience you have in your occupation. This number is your score.
Calculation of experience
| ETF Points | Experience |
|||
1 Year |
2 Years |
3 Years |
4
Years |
|
| 1 to 2 | 2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| 5 to 7 | 2 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| 15 | 2 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
| 17 to 18 | 2 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
SCORE |
Factor 7: Language ability in English and French
(maximum 15 points)
If you are fluent in both of Canada's official languages (English and French), give yourself 15 points. If you are not fluent in both official languages, estimate your credits. Award the credits that best reflect your ability to read, write, and speak English and/or French. Use the following definitions:
| Skill/Level | Speak |
Read |
Write |
| Fluently | The applicant speaks and understands oral communication with approximately the same ease as that of an articulate native speaker. | The applicant reads and understands texts of a general or job specifc nature, including technical instructions. | The applicant writes proficiently in any context. |
| Well | The applicant is able to comprehend and to communicate effectively on a range of general topics. | The applicant is able tocomprehend almost alldocuments of a general non-abstractnature. | The applicant is able to write a basic report or summary relevant to their education, work, or social situation. |
| With difficulty |
The applicant is able to communicate only in a very limited way. | The applicant is able to read and comprehend only short, familiar, or memorized text. | The applicant is able to write only a few learned words or sentences of a familiar nature. |
| Not at all | The applicant is unable to understand and respond appropriately to spoken communication. | The applicant shows no understanding of the written word. | The applicant is unable to express any message in writing. |
Calculation of language credits
| First Language | Read |
Write |
Speak |
| Fluently | 3 |
3 |
3 |
| Well | 2 |
2 |
2 |
| With difficulty | 0 |
0 |
0 |
| Not at all | 0 |
0 |
0 |
| Second Language | Read |
Write |
Speak |
| Fluently | 2 |
2 |
2 |
| Well | 1 |
1 |
1 |
| With difficulty | 0 |
0 |
0 |
| Not at all | 0 |
0 |
0 |
SCORE |
Add your credits: Total of read + write + speak = ______ (total credits)
Calculate your points as follows:
For a total of 0 or 1 credit you
score 0 points
For a total of 2 to 5 credits you score 2 points
For a total of 6 to 15 credits you score the same number of points as credits
Factor 8: Demographic factor
| This is a number set by the Government of Canada. Award yourself 8 points. | 8 |
SCORE |
8 |
Factor 9: Close relative in Canada
(maximum 5 bonus points)
| Give yourself 5 points if you, the principal applicant, have a brother, sister, mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen living in Canada. You must provide documents proving the relationship. |
SCORE |
SELF-ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET:
YOUR ASSESSMENT
Use this worksheet to calculate your total point score. You must have at least 70 points to qualify. If there is a difference between the points you give yourself and the points the visa officer awards you, the visa officer's assessment will prevail.
| Factor | Maximum |
Your |
|
| 1 | Age | 10 |
|
| 2 | Education | 16 |
|
| 3 | Occupation (you need at least 1 point or arranged employment) | 10 |
|
| 4 | Education/Training Factor (training/education/apprenticeship) | 18 |
|
| 5 | Arranged employment | 10 |
|
| 6 | Work experience (you need a minimum of 2 points or arranged employment) | 8 |
|
| 7 | Language ability | 15 |
|
| 8 | Demographic factor | 8 |
8 |
| 9 | Relative in Canada (bonus) | 5 |
|
| Total | 100 |
|
|
Note: A visa officer will award points for personal suitability, up to a maximum of 10, at interview. Personal suitability has to do with the degree to which a person and his/herfamily are deemed able to settle successfully in Canada. It refers to a person's adaptability, motivation, initiative, and resoursefulness.
With the additional points for personal suitability awarded to you by the visa officer, you will normally be required to have at least 70 points in total in order to pass to the interview stage. Remember, however, that unless you have at least 60 points on the first 9 factors, your application may not merit further consideration and you may therefore not be called for an interview.
Note:
1. Application kits may be revised several times each year. The criteria described in the kits were valid on the day the kits were made available to you. Applications received after any changes occur may be assessed against the new criteria.
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