As of June 26, 2010 Citizenship and Immigration Canada has new rules for applying as a skilled worker. There will also be a maximum of 20,000 applications allowed each calendar year.

Note: This does NOT apply to Quebec destined applicants.

New List of Occupations in Demand

Skilled workers are people who are selected as Permanent Residents based on their ability to become economically established in Canada. Federal Skilled Worker applications received on or after June 26, 2010 are now assessed for eligibility according to a new set of instructions issued by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.If you are eligible your application will be reviewed in three steps.

1. According to the Minister’s instructions, your application is eligible for processing if:

you have an Arranged Employment Offer in your field from a Canadian employer , OR

you are a skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the occupations listed here.2. If your application is eligible for processing, you must also meet the following minimum requirements to qualify as a skilled worker: you have at least one year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment,

AND

your work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the
Canadian National Occupational Classification list, AND

you must have had this experience within the last 5 years.

3. If you meet these minimum requirements, your application will then be processed according to the six selection factors in the skilled worker points grid. The six selection factors are:
your education
your abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages (only language exam results such as IELTS will be accepted now)
your work experience
your age
whether you have arranged employment in Canada, and
your adaptability.You must also show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada, and pass a medical examination and security and criminal checks.