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What is Federal Skilled Trades Program?

What is Federal Skilled Trades Program?

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is one of the three Programs managed under Canada’s Express Entry System. It provides a pathway to skilled workers who want to become permanent residents of Canada based on their skilled trade.

To address the labor shortages in the country, the Canadian Government is welcoming more skilled workers through the medium of FSTP. Because of its growing aging population and lower birth rate, the country is relying on immigration to support its economic growth and labor workforce.

FSTP provides multiple benefits. The candidates with successful applications usually obtain their PRs within ten to twelve months of applying.
FSTP candidates need lower CRS scores as compared to other candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the FSTP, you must:

  • have valid job offers of continuous, paid, full-time employment (at least 30 hours a week) from up to two employers in Canada for at least one year OR a certificate of qualification* from a provincial or territorial body;
  • provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization, demonstrating that the applicant meets the minimum threshold set by IRCC — Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing;
  • have obtained 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) in the skilled trade in the five years before applying; and
  • be able to demonstrate the skills and experience and that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation.
canada express entry

A certificate of qualification proves that a foreign national is qualified to work in a skilled trade occupation in Canada. With a certificate of qualification, applicants prove they have passed a certification exam or met all the requirements to practice their trade in a specific province or territory.

Skilled Work Experience eligible for FSTP program falls under the following NOC codes:

  • Major Group 72: industrial, electrical, and construction trades,
  • Major Group 73: maintenance, and equipment operation trades,
  • Major Group 82: supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production,
  • Major Group 92: processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors and central control operators,
  • Minor Group 632: chefs and cooks, and
  • Minor Group 633: butchers and bakers.

The candidates need to reside outside Quebec because it selects its own skilled workers through the immigration system.

FSTP Process:

  • At the very first step candidate needs to find out if he meets the FSTP’s eligibility criteria.
  • If you meet the eligibility criteria of the FSTP or another Express Entry program, you will need to complete an English and/or French language test officially recognized by IRCC. If you have studied abroad in an eligible program, you may also want to claim the additional CRS points you are eligible for by obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment.
  • Submit your Express Entry profile on IRCC’s website.
  • IRCC holds Express Entry draws every two weeks. So the candidate needs to wait for an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.
  • If you receive an ITA, you have to submit the completed PR application to IRCC. After IRCC completes the processing of the application, the candidate can migrate to Canada.

Language Requirement for FSTP:

The candidate needs to take an English and/or French test by a third-party language tester that has been designated by IRCC.

He needs to meet the following requirements at a minimum on your test(s):

  • at least a CLB 5 (English) or a NCLC 5 (French) for speaking and listening
  • at least a CLB 4 (English) or a NCLC 4 (French) for reading and writing

If the candidate receives an invitation to apply for permanent residence, your test results can not be older than two years old on the day you submit your permanent residence application.

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