Canada lowers passmark to 67

On September 18, 2003, Canadian immigration minister Denis Coderre announced a drastic reduction in the "pass mark" for skilled worker applications from 75 to 67. The new pass mark will be effective as of September 18, 2003 to all cases not yet decided by that date.

This will make it much easier to qualify for immigration to Canada as a skilled worker. For instance, a person with a bachelor's degree, four years of work experience in a skilled occupation, and good command of either English or French, will now qualify.

We offer a preliminary assessment of your chances at no charge. Please download the attached form, fill it out completely, and email it back to us to info@allhod.com .

There are 6 categories in which you can get points. They are: education, language, experience, arranged employment, age, and adaptability. Adaptability is now defined and will not be based on an interview.

Here is a brief summary of the point system:

• Education: 25 points for an advanced degree, 20 for a bachelor's degree requiring at least two years of study, or a two year apprenticeship in a skilled trade.
• Language: Up to 16 points for fluency in one official language (English or French), and up to 8 additional points for fluency in the other official language. You can get fewer points for limited language ability. There must be written proof of your language ability, such as a test result.
• Experience: 21 points for 4 years experience in a skilled occupation, 19 for 3, 17 for 2, and 15 for 1. You must have at least 1 year of experience or you are out of luck.
• Age: 10 points for 21-49, 2 points off for each year outside this range.
• Arranged employment: 10 points. Arranged employment means a job or job offer that has been approved by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), or an existing work permit valid for at least one year under NAFTA, GATS, or a pre-validated occupation. (An intra-company transferee, for instance, would qualify.) An informal job offer is not arranged employment.
• Adaptability: total of 10 points maximum, which can be gotten in any of the following ways: spouse with an advanced degree, 5 points, with a bachelor's, 4; 1 year of previous authorized work in Canada, 5 points; two years of previous authorized study in Canada, 5 points; arranged employment, 5 points (in addition to the 10 you already get!); and a close relative in Canada, 5 points.

Coderre also announced that all cases filed prior to January 1, 2002 would be assessed under the old regulations in effect at the time the cases were filed, as well as under the new regulations. People who were refused because they did not meet the new requirements, even though they met the requirements in effect when their cases were given until January 1, 2005 to request re-consideration.