Canada’s Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is a type of immigration program that enables international skilled workers to find employment and permanent residence in Canada. The Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program is one of three programs in the Express Entry system, the online system created by the Canadian Government for immigration procedures.
The Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program is the only business immigration program available on the Express Entry system that is directly aimed at tradesmen. The Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is designed to enable foreign trade workers with work experience in eligible trade occupations to immigrate to Canada.
Every year, the Canadian Government invites 3,000 applicants from 26 different professions to Canada under the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program. There is a quota limit of 100 people in 17 of the 26 professions for which applications are accepted for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program.
All tradesmen whose professions are on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) list can apply to the Canadian trade program.
What are the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) Requirements?
There are requirements that people must meet to apply for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Listed below are the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program requirements.
- Language proficiency
- At least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade job within the last 5 years
- Have one of the skilled trade occupations listed on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) list
- Having received a job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer
- Having received a certificate of competence from the Canadian provinces indicating that you are authorized in trade.
Language Proficiency
The Government of Canada requires applicants for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program to have minimum proficiency in English and French, which are Canada’s official languages. Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants must document their internationally recognized language scores by taking the IELTS or CELPIP exams for English and the TEF or TFC exams for French.
International language test results are converted into Canadian Language Becnhmark (CLB) exam scores, which is Canada’s official language proficiency exam, by the Canadian Government. Applicants to the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program must have scored at least level 4 for writing and reading on the CLB exam, and at least level 5 for listening and speaking proficiency.
Education
The Government of Canada has not set any educational requirements for applicants to the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program, but their educational level provides an advantage in being accepted into the program.
The educational levels at which Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants benefit are listed below.
- Canadian high school or post-high school undergraduate education diplomas
- Submitting the approved Education Credential Evaluation Report documents showing that the education received is equivalent to a high school or higher level education in Canada during their application provides priority for them to be accepted into the program.
Qualified Work Experience
Applicants under the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program must have one of the skilled trades occupations listed on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) list. There are a total of 5 skill levels in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) list: 0, A, B, C, D. Occupations accepted by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program are trade occupations at skill levels A and B.
There are 100 vacancies for skilled trade occupations at skill level A on Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) list. There is no quota limit set by the Government of Canada for occupations at skill level B on the NOC list.
Group B trade professions included in the NOC list are listed below.
- Major Group 72 – Industrial, electrical and construction trades;
- Major Group 73 – Maintenance and equipment operations trade;
- Major Group 82 – Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related manufacturing;
- Major Group 92 – Processing, manufacturing and service supervisors and central control operators;
- Small Group 632 – Cooks and cook assistants;
- Minor Group 633 – Butchers and bakers;
Applicants who will apply under the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program must have at least 2 years of full-time working experience in one of the skilled trades occupations on the NOC list within the last 5 years.
State or Federal Evaluation Requirement
Applicants for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program must obtain a certificate of qualification from a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority based on their experience in the trades field. Applications for proficiency certificates for state or federal evaluation criteria are made through different addresses for each state.
Below are the addresses where you can apply for proficiency certificates depending on the provinces of Canada.
- Alberta: www.tradesecrets.alberta.ca
- British Columbia: www.itabc.ca
- Manitoba: www.manitoba.ca
- New Brunswick: www2.gnb.ca
- Newfoundland and Labrador: www.gov.nl.ca
- Northwest Territories: www.ece.gov.nt.ca
- Nova Scotia: www.nsapprenticeship.ca
- Nunavut: www.gov.nu.ca
- Ontario: www.ontario.ca
- Prince Edward Island: www.princeedwardisland.ca
- Saskatchewan: www.saskapprenticeship.ca
- Yukon: www.yukon.ca
Professionals working in federally regulated trades must apply for certificates of competency through the Canadian International Credentials Center website.
The Government of Canada provides qualification certificates to individuals it deems appropriate. People who receive a valid qualification certificate can live anywhere in Canada except the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec exclusively recruits workers under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
Acceptability
Applicants for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program must meet the admissibility requirements required by the Government of Canada.
The eligibility requirements for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program are listed below.
- Not to pose any security risk to Canada
- Not being involved in international crimes or human rights violations
- Not have been convicted of any crime within or outside Canada
- Not affiliated with an organized crime group
- Not having serious health problems
- Not having serious financial problems
- Providing accurate information and documents during the application
- Not have a family member who is officially banned from entering Canada
How to Apply for Canada’s Federal Skilled Trades Program?
Applications for Canadian Federal Skilled Trade Programs are accepted online. The Government of Canada has created an online system called Express Entry for work and immigration programs.
The Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program is included in the Canadian Express Entry Programs. Individuals create a profile to submit to the Canadian Government through the Canadian Express Entry point calculation system. The Government of Canada lists the profiles created in an immigration pool. Based on the profiles listed in the Express Entry system immigration pool, the Government of Canada announces whether individuals are eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, starting with those with the highest scores.
The application process for the Canadian Federal Skilled Worker Program through the Express Entry system takes between 6 months and 1 year.
1. Get Supporting Documents
It is recommended that applicants for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program prepare the necessary documents requested by the Canadian Government before creating an application profile in the Express Entry online immigration system.
Listed below are the documents required for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program.
- A valid passport or travel document
- Internationally valid language test results
- Education Credential Evaluation Report
If the profiles created by individuals on the Express Entry system to apply for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trade Program are approved, the Canadian Government sends applicants an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
Canadian permanent residence application documents are listed below.
- Criminal record documents
- Health reports
- proof of funds
2. Save Your Profile
Those who will apply for the Canadian Federal Qualified Trade Program must create an account at the IRRC address.
You can log in to the system by creating a GCkey account via the Canada.ca website or by using your bank account information.
People must log in to the Express Entry system with a GCKey account or bank account information. In the first stage, an eligibility test is held for applicants who log in to the Express Entry system. The eligibility test on the Express Entry system evaluates whether individuals are eligible to apply for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program.
As a result of the eligibility test conducted through the Express Entry system, candidates who are deemed eligible to apply to the Federal Qualified Trade Program by the Canadian Government are asked to upload the requested documents to their profiles. People must upload their personal information, employment documents, education records, language test results and the code information on the NOC list of the skilled trade profession for which they are applying to their profiles in the Express Entry system.
The Canadian Government gives people 60 days to complete all their documents from the day they start creating their profiles. Persons who have any changes in their Canadian Federal Skilled Trade Program application documents have the right to edit their information in the system within 60 days.
3. Wait for the Election
The Government of Canada evaluates and scores Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants based on the profiles they create through the Express Entry system. Applicants who are scored by the Canadian Government are ranked according to their scores in the immigration pool on the Express Entry system. The Government of Canada sends application approval to individuals in order, starting from the candidates with the highest scores to the candidates with the minimum scores.
Canadian Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants can improve their educational and employment qualifications by attending vocational courses in order to get better scores in the evaluation made on the Express Entry system.
4. Receive an Application Invitation
The Government of Canada scores and ranks the profiles of applicants for the Canadian Federal Skilled Trade Program through the Express Entry system. In the scoring made through the Express Entry system, applicants with the highest scores are sent an invitation to apply for indefinite residence in Canada.
Applicants may accept an invitation letter sent by the Government of Canada, or they may reject it if the invitation is for a program other than the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Individuals who reject a letter of invitation from the Government of Canada on behalf of another program must create a profile from scratch in order to be accepted into the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
5. Apply for Permanent Residence
Applicants who accept an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence sent by the Government of Canada must pay the permanent residence application fees and ensure that additional supporting documentation is forwarded to the Government of Canada.
The Canadian Government sends the necessary forms and documents in a package to those who accept the invitation to apply for permanent residence. Individuals must fill out the necessary forms, gather the necessary paperwork, and pay the Canadian permanent residence application fees.
All documents requested by the Government of Canada must have certified translations in English or French. The passport of the person who will apply for permanent residence in Canada must be valid for at least 6 months.
How Much Are Canadian Permanent Residence Application Fees?
Canadian permanent residence application fees are given below:
- Canadian permanent residence processing fee – 550 CAD;
- Permanent residence fee (RPRF) – 490 CAD: (Does not apply to dependent children) –
- Spouse or partner – 1,040 CAD (including processing fee and RPRF);
- Applicant’s dependent child – 150 CAD (per child)
Canadian permanent residence permit allows its holders to stay in Canada indefinitely. Individuals must pay the application fees determined by the Canadian Government in order to obtain a Canadian residence and work permit .