• Wife / husband
• Common law partner
• Dependent son or daughter
• Parents, grandparents
• Brothers / sisters, nephews / nieces and grandchildren who are orphans, unmarried and under 19
• Children under 19 you plan to adopt

• Original birth and marriage certificates
• Legal official records
• Family personal records and photographs if nothing else is available

On November 28, 2008, the Government of Canada introduced substantive changes to the Federal Skilled Worker Class. The new rules will affect all new applications as well as all applications submitted on or after February 27, 2008. The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, provides assurances that new federal skilled worker applications, should receive a selection decision within 6 to 12 months.

To qualify for admission to Canada as a skilled worker, without an approved offer of employment, applicants must meet the following conditions:

1. Eliminatory condition:
1. Possess at least one year of applicable experience in one of 38 major high demand occupations (health, skilled trades and finance) listed in one of the National Occupational Classification categories:
• 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, Pipefitters 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

Applicants, who possess applicable work experience in one of the above occupations, will be eligible for continued processing as a skilled worker and must also meet each of the following essential selection conditions:

2. Essential selection conditions:
1. Possess one-year, within the previous 10 years, of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment; AND
2. The work experience must be classified within Skill Type 0 (Managerial Occupations), Skill Level A (Professional Occupations), or Skill Level B (Technical Occupations and Skilled Trades) within the meaning of the National Occupational Classification system; AND
3. Score sufficient points under the skilled worker point grid comprising of six selection factors. The current pass mark is 67 points;
4. Possess suitable settlement funding;
5. Undergo a successful security background and medical examination.

The Federal Skilled Workers class is the single largest category. Applicants are given points for age, education, occupation, work experience, English or French ability, and close relatives in Canada. The objective is to achieve the pass-mark. Applicants with the most likely chance of success must be working in an occupation that appears on the Canadian Occupations List of "in demand" trades and professions. All applicants must have minimum 12 months of post-graduation work experience. Most applicants succeed under this class without the need for a job-offer at the time of applying. Under this class it is essential to ensure that your case is accurately prepared and presented in the format required by the immigration authorities. A poorly presented and incomplete case will expose you to the risk of an interview and possibly refusal. The Act and Regulations
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), passed November 1, 2001, and its accompanying Regulations, replace the Immigration Act of 1976, known as the former Act., and the April 1,1997, Regulations. The new legislation takes effect on June 28, 2002.
Who must apply for a visa?
The rule requires every foreign national to apply for and obtain a visa before they appear at a port of entry. The rule requires foreign nationals who wish to become permanent residents of Canada to obtain a permanent resident visa.
Who is a permanent resident?
A permanent resident is defined as someone who has acquired permanent resident status and who has not subsequently lost that status. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act lists several objectives with respect to foreign nationals. Among those related to the skilled worker program are:

• To permit Canada to pursue the maximum social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration;
• To support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy, in which the benefits of immigration are shared across all regions of Canada;