If you’re interested in immigrating to Ontario, and qualify for Express Entry, you may be eligible for the Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.
Here at VisaPlace, we’re going to outline exactly what you need in order to be eligible for this particular Skilled Worker Stream.
Do You Qualify for the Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream
To initially qualify for the Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, you must have first:
- Successfully registered and entered the Express Entry pool
- Qualified for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or Canadian Express Class (CEC) — and finally;
- Expressed your interest in residing in ‘All Provinces and Territories’ or Ontario in particular when you initially registered for Express Entry.
TIP: Please note, you must indicate which of the federal programs you qualify for when applying to the Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, and which you’d like to be assessed against.Â
Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream Criteria
If you have met the above conditions for the Skilled Worker Stream, you can then assess yourself based on the various other criteria you will be required to meet. This includes areas such as:
- Education
- Language
- Funds
- Work experience
- Self-employed evidence
- Ties to Ontario
Let’s take a look at some of these in more detail, below:
Education
You have to meet a certain standard of education before you can be eligible for the Skilled Worker Stream. You must have a Canadian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree or an Educational Credential Assessment report produced by a designated organisation indicating the foreign education is equivalent.
Language
You also need to be able to demonstrate a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of at least level 7 in all areas of language competency (including reading, writing, speaking and listening) in French or English. You must have been tested from a recognized assessment institution, using tests such as IELTS, CELPIP or TEF.
You should always attempt to take your language assessments within the year prior to applying for the Skilled Worker Stream to make sure your results are still valid after nomination and while applying for Canadian permanent residence.
Funds
You must be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to be able to support yourself and any dependents whilst in Ontario, and will have to provide bank statements as evidence. This cannot be borrowed from another person.
Work Experience
You must have relevant work experience in line with either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Canadian Experience Class.
Self-Employed Evidence
If you’ve been self-employed whilst working in Canada, you will need to provide evidence of your income, business and clients to show that you have worked sufficiently to meet the Skilled Worker Stream requirements.
Ties to Ontario
Finally, you must be able to demonstrate that you intend to settle in Ontario, and your reasons for doing so in a statement of intent.
NOTE: Refugee claimants cannot apply for the Skilled Worker Stream whilst still in Canada.
Why Hire Us to Help with Your Skilled Worker Application?
Our lawyers have over 15 years of experience in helping skilled individuals from virtually every country to become permanent residents in Canada.
The first step towards a successful Skilled Trade Program application is getting an assessment of your case. Fill out our free immigration assessment form and we will get back to you within 24 hours to discuss your eligibility and options.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
