The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) has provided an immigration pathway for skilled trades professionals from throughout the world since 2013. The FSTP is one of three federal economic programs controlled through the Express Entry system of the Canadian government. This detailed and practical guide will teach you what you need to know about the FSTP.
Requirements for Federal Skilled Trades Program
Education
Currently, there are no educational requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. However, should you want to improve your Express Entry pool ranking, you have two ways.
First, If you studied in Canada, you must have a diploma, degree, or certificate from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution.
If you studied abroad, you must present:
- completed credentials
- an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization that shows your education is equal to a completed diploma, degree, or certificate from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution.
Language Ability
Applicants must:
- take approved language tests in English or French that demonstrates skills in:
○ reading;
○ writing;
○ speaking;
○ listening; - get the minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for listening and speaking, and CLB 5 for reading and writing;
- enter the test results in your Express Entry profile
Work Experience (Full-time and Part-time)
Full-time employment of 30 hours per week for 24 months amounts to the 3,120 hours required for you to be eligible.
- For part-time employment, the following sample calculations will deem you eligible for the 3,120 hours requirement.
15 hours per week, for 48 months is equal to 3,120 hours required. - 30 hours per week for 24 months at more than 1 job is equal to 3,120 hours required.
You can work more or less than 15 hours every week as long as it totals to 3,120 hours. Take note that the hours you work above the 30 hour per week limit will not be counted.
Eligible Trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program
The following occupation groups are what qualifies as skilled trades under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code:
| 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 Utilities Supervisors and Central Control Operators |
| Minor Group 632 | Chefs and Cooks |
| Minor Group 633 | Butchers and Bakers |
The major NOC groups are categorized into many jobs, all of which are skill type B.
You must demonstrate that you completed the tasks outlined in the lead statement of the NOC’s occupational description. This comprises all of the necessary responsibilities as well as the majority of the key responsibilities.
Your application will most likely be rejected if you do not demonstrate that your experience matches the description in the NOC.
Take note that work experience is only considered if you have obtained the necessary qualifications to practice the occupation independently.
Planned Residence
To qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must plan to live outside of Quebec. The province of Quebec has its own criteria and process for selecting its own skilled workers. You will be asked where you plan to live in Canada when you fill out your profile, but you don’t have to settle in that province or territory. However, if you’re a Provincial Nominee, you must settle in the province that nominated you.
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Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)