Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program

Learn how to apply to and gain experience as an intern with federal government departments.

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Learn how to access opportunities in the Canadian public service

The Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program offers eligible newcomers a chance to gain valuable temporary work experience and training opportunities with Canadian federal, provincial and municipal organizations. World Skills partners with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to deliver this program where interested candidates can be pre-screened after proving that they meet the eligibility criteria established by IRCC.

World Skills is the only immigrant-serving organization that pre-screens candidates in the Ottawa area. Interested candidates are invited to attend a FIN information session, in English or French, organized and delivered by World Skills staff, where they learn all the steps to be able to apply to the FIN program should they qualify. For more detailed information, please visit the Government of Canada website.

How the FIN Program will Help you Gain Canadian Work Experience with the Government of Canada

Learn all the steps to apply for government jobs

Attend informative sessions with experienced staff

Learn how to highlight your experience in the online application

Practice government interview skills

Access coaching and networking events with local employers

On-going employment skills support from staff once placed in the FIN pool

Eligibility Criteria for the Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program

Permanent Resident or foreign-born Canadian citizen

Landed in Canada 10 years or less*

Canadian Language Benchmark of 7 or above or equivalent

Resident of Ottawa and surroundings (125 km)

Have a postsecondary degree

Be registered as a client and pre-screened by World Skills in Ottawa or SITO in Gatineau

Become a Client

Program Frequency

The registration and application to the FIN program happens once a year from January to April

Learn More

See What Past Clients Have to Say About Their Experience

“I am an immigrant and landed in Ottawa at the end of summer 2018. I visited World Skills in December of that year and scheduled my first appointment. They saw my resume and told me I should apply to the FIN program. They enrolled me for the right workshops to get me ready for the FIN program application. After the application, they invited others and me for different workshops and sessions where I met someone who is an immigrant working in the government, and she shared her experiences about her job and how to apply for similar opportunities. All that helped me land in four pools of the FIN program that year. I was invited for interviews in five different government departments. I got my first term position instead of casual and started a job in October 2019. This year I got an indeterminate position. In my whole journey, where I am today, the credit is to the World Skills team. You have helped me get ready for my future so well. I am grateful that I met you and you have encouraged me in the right direction.“

Dhwani Trivedi

“I reached out to World Skills to learn about how to seek job opportunities in the public and NGO sectors, to find out about networking opportunities, and to apply for the FIN program. I needed to build my professional network, and did not know much about how to navigate the Canadian job market. They were extremely helpful in preparing me for the official FIN interview. Lacking interview experience, I was extremely worried even though I believed I had excellent qualifications for the position. Thanks to the mock interview that I made with them, I passed the interview with flying colors. I feel more comfortable applying for jobs and being interviewed after receiving those services from World Skills. In fact, I have applied for several positions so far and successfully made it to the FIN pool for this year for the EC-02 category and am hoping to work as an intern soon in the government if a hiring manager contacts me”