Federal Skilled Trades (FST)

Eligibility and Application

Welcome to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (Express Entry) page! If you are a skilled worker with foreign work experience and aspire to immigrate to Canada permanently, this program could be your pathway to achieving your dream. Let’s explore the key details about the program and what you need to know to apply.

Key Information

Minimum Requirements

To be eligible, you must meet all the minimum requirements for your

skilled trades work experience.
job offer or certificate of qualification.
language ability.

Skilled trades work experience

have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply.
meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
show that you performed the duties listed in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC, including all the essential duties & most of the main duties.

Job offer or certificate of qualification

valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or
certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.

Certificate of qualification

A certificate of qualification proves you’re qualified to work in a certain skilled trade in Canada. This means you

passed a certification exam.
meet all the requirements to practise your trade in the province or territory that issued your certificate.

Education

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
If you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, there are 2 ways you can do this.
1. If you went to school in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian
  - secondary institution (high school) or
  - post-secondary institution
2. If you have foreign education, you can get points if you have both of these
  - a completed educational credential
  - an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes that
    - is from a designated organization and
    - shows your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution.

Proof of funds

You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada, unless you

are currently able to legally work in Canada and
have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada.

Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada.

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information.

When you fill out your profile, we’ll ask you where you plan to live in Canada. You don’t have to settle in that province or territory.

Application Procedure

The application process for the Federal Skilled Trades Program under Express Entry is fairly simple and detailed instructions are provided for each step by the government. We’ve broken down the process into steps to make it easier to understand:

Get a Canadian trades job offer or certificate of qualification.
Check your eligibility for Express Entry.
Create an IRCC account and Express Entry profile.
Submit your profile and enter the Express Entry candidate pool.
Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Submit your permanent residence (PR) application.
Get your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR).

Frequently Asked Questions

Step 1: Determine Eligibility
Step 2: Create Your Express Entry Profile
Step 3: Gather Necessary Documents
Step 4: Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
Step 5: Prepare Your Application
Step 6: Submit Your Complete Application within timeframe
Step 7: Respond to Additional Information Requests
Step 8: Receive Your Decision
Step 9: If Approved, Receive Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) Document