Federal Skilled Trade Program

The Federal Skilled Trade Program is one of the three federal immigration pathways that is managed under the Express Entry System. Statistically, nearly half of all immigration programs are welcomed through skilled workers programs, including the Federal Skilled Trades Program. FST acts as a swift option to obtain a Canada PR, through which the applicant can work and settle anywhere in Canada. Like all Express Entry programs (CRS), allowing only the most competitive candidates to apply for a PR.

What are the potential advantages and limitations to receive an ITA?

• IRCC conducts program-specific draws for FST applicants with a CRS cut-off far below what other candidates need in order to be invited to apply. The first time it happened was in 2017 when FST applicants with CRS points of 199 or above were invited to apply. Specific draws have been conducted for FST candidates since then.

• Having a valid job offer from a Canadian employer will help the applicant increase the CRS points which in turn increases the chances to receive the invitation to apply(ITA).

• The language proficiency criteria to enter the Express Entry pool is lower for FTS applicants, as compared to Federal Skilled Workers Class (FSWC) and Canadian Economic Class (CEC).

• Language Proficiency: The applicant needs to submit results of the language proficiency test with the minimum of Level 5 as per the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in all four components: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

• Work experience: The applicants need to demonstrate two years of full-time working experience (or its part-time equivalent) in the area of skilled trade in the last five years of the period. The applicant should also be able to show skills and knowledge under his experience that can cover the job responsibilities.

• A valid certificate of qualification or a full-time employment letter from a Canadian employer of at least one year is essential to qualify for the FSTP.