DOLE: Canada's new hiring system places importance on language proficiency


The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the Canadian government's new hiring system for foreign workers places greater importance on age and language proficiency.

According to Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Canadian Minister for Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney announced in December last year that the new selection system for  their Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will start on  May 14 this year.

“The FSWP puts more points on language proficiency and youth as the two most important factors in the economic success of immigrants,” Baldoz noted.

The new FSWP will accept a fixed number of applications each year, Baldoz said.

New applications under the FSWP will be processed in a few months, rather than a few years.

Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan said the revised FSWP selection criteria include:

 • Minimum official language thresholds and increased points for official language proficiency; this makes language the most important factor in the selection process;

• Greater emphasis on younger immigrants, who are more likely to adapt to changing labour market conditions;

• Introduction of the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), so that education points awarded reflect the foreign credential’s true value in Canada;

• Changes to the arranged employment process, allowing employers to hire applicants quickly, and

• Additional adaptability points for spousal language ability and Canadian work experience.

The DOLE said two new steps to the new selection system will be applied:
(1) applicants will have to demonstrate that they meet the minimum language threshold, which is level 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark assessment system;

(2) applicants will have their education credentials assessed before arriving in Canada, and a list of assessment organizations designated by the Minister will be made available early in 2013.


Applicants can get a language assessment from existing agencies designated by the Minister which is published in the web pages of Canada Immigration and Citizenship (CIC).

Gatan said it was important to note that these changes will not apply to people who have applied to the FSWP before May 4, 2013 with a qualifying arranged job offer or under the Ph.D. stream.

The assessment of foreign educational credentials will provide newcomers with a more realistic understanding of how their credentials compare to education standards in Canada.

It will also give them the opportunity to upgrade their education before coming to Canada if they choose, the DOLE said. - VVP, GMA News

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