According to the amendments published in November, 2008 in the instructions given by Immigration Minister, there are several conditions that make you eligible to file your application under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Given below are a few conditions that can work in your favor, to apply under this category:
You have AEO (Arranged Employment Option) from a Canadian employer.
You are the foreign national who is already living in Canada legally, for a minimum of one year as an international student or a provisional foreign worker.
You are an intending foreign worker with an experience of at least one year, with your occupation being included in the Canada's List of 38 Occupations that are highly in demand.
Out of the mentioned three options, the last one caters to the interest of a lot many interested immigrants. All applications of this program that do not have the privilege of an AEO are now processed in Nova Scotia at the CIO (Centralized Intake Office). You will need to pay a courier fee to mail the essential forms and documents.
CIO reviews all sent applications for the right completion of all necessary fields along with a check for the payment of the processing fee by the applicant. A noteworthy point in this regard is that the CIO does not accept cash payments. Only Managers Check is accepted in the Canadian Dollars in the name of the Receiver General of Canada.
A Notice of Assessment is then received from CIO. This will provide you with the basic instructions to contact the Visa Office along with the reference number allotted to you. Also, you are further requested to submit copies of all essential documents and your application within the next 120 days to the Canadian Visa Office.
At this time, you may also file for your dependents or your family members who would be immigrating with you, in case you have not applied for them earlier. As the probability of immigration is only analyzed for the principal applicant, filing for the dependents at a later stage wouldn't really delay application processing.
Once the Visa office has got your complete application, your application would be checked to ensure that all required documents have been submitted. The Visa Office would then forward an acknowledgment receipt letter to you. You will also find enclosed the file number and the details regarding the processing times.
Your application will then be checked:
If your application under any of three categories that are mentioned for the minimum requirements given in the Ministerial Instructions, for further processing.
For selection factors
For sufficient funds
Once you qualify through all these stages, you would soon be granted the Canada Immigration Visa. Centralizing of the applications to Nova Scotia has played a key role in reducing the processing times for Canada immigration, which has earlier been increased to 6-7 years.
However, still Canada immigration program is not as easy as it sounds. Without the help of an able Canada immigration specialist, it is very much possible that you may end up wasting a lot of time and money, thereby delaying your Canada immigration goal. Hence, for a smooth and hassle free immigration to Canada, do not forget to take the useful advice of an immigration expert, which is definitely worth every penny spent.