SELF ASSESSMENT

To qualify now under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you or your spouse/partner must have at least one year of continuous full time paid work experience or the equivalent in part time continuous employment in the last 10 years in one or more of the 38 acceptable occupations listed under the link “Skilled Workers” on this website.  If you do, you must then determine if you or your spouse/partner have a passmark of 67 in the six selection factors in the skilled worker points grid.  The six selection factors are: 1) Your education. 2) Your abilities in English and/or French.  3)  Your work experience. 4) Your age. 5)  Whether you have arranged employment in Canada.  6)  Your adaptability.

To self-assess yourself under the above selection factors, refer to the Federal Government website at www.cic.gc.ca and follow these steps:

1)      Click on the page “How to Immigrate to Canada as a Skilled Worker”.

2)      Click on the link “Immigrating as a worker.  Am I eligible?”

3)       Answer all preliminary questions.

4)       Click on “Self Assessment Test” to determine you or your spouse/partner’s eligibility under the six selection factors and your total number of points.  You must obtain a total of at least 67 points to qualify.

If you or your spouse/partner qualify on the basis of work experience in an acceptable occupation and have at least 67 points on the selection grid, write to me by e-mail at Lsimcoe@immigrationattorney.ca for a questionnaire which you will complete and return to me so that I can verify that you qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Processing time to receive visas for permanent residence is 10 to 12 months if you qualify. Our expertise and many years of professional experience will assure a successful outcome to your application..

If you are a professional and do not qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Program you should consider the Investor Program. Professionals such as doctors, dentists, pharmacists, accountants, lawyers and engineers etc. who operate his/her own professional practices, which employ at least two full time personnel can now qualify as investors.

To be eligible for the Investor Program:

1. The investor has, alone or with his accompanying spouse, including de facto spouse, net assets of at least CAD$800,000 obtained legally.

Assets acquired through inheritance and gifts (provided they did not occur within six months prior to the date of filing an application) are acceptable to meet the minimum net worth requirement of CAD$800,000.

2. The Investor must have management experience by assuming, for at least 2 years in the 5 years preceding the filing of an application duties related to the planning, management and control of financial resources and of human or material resources under the investor's authority.

The Investor has experience in management in a legal professional business where the staff, excluding the investor, occupies at least the equivalent of 2 full-time jobs.

The Investor Program eliminates the requirement that the applicant have management experience in a business that is profitable and also the requirement that the management experience have been full time. This should mean that the Investor Program is now open to professionals, who manage their practice or a business enterprise and also spend part of their work day practicing in their profession.

3. You must undertake to invest a minimum of CAN$400,000 for five years by signing an agreement with an approved Canadian financial intermediary such as a Canadian bank or trust company.

At the end of the 5 year term, CAN$400,000 is repaid to the investor without interest.

There is a financing option available whereby investors can deposit CAN$120,000 and financing can be arranged by a major Canadian bank to assist you in completing the balance of the CAN$400,000 investment requirement of CAD$280,000.

Interviews under the Investor category take place in 4 to 5 months and the entire application process takes approximately 12-15 months. Once approved, the investor receives an unconditional Visa for Permanent Residence to Canada for himself, his spouse and dependent children.

For further details of the Investor Program refer to the link "Investors" on the home page of this website and/or send an e-mail or telephone Leonard Simcoe at the contact details on the home page.