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Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Bringing skilled workforce to Canada that can help the nation reach its economic targets and bring financial prosperity and success is a key purpose of Canada’s long-term immigration strategy. This year alone, Canada aims to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents with a target of half a million new permanent residents next year.


To meet these numbers and fulfill labor gaps in critical industries, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) that works as an immigration pathway for foreign workers qualified in skilled trades who want to permanently settle in Canada.


FSTP Immigration Process

The Canadian immigration authorities use Express Entry to manage applications filed under FSTP. The first step is to see whether you meet all minimum requirements needed to be eligible to apply under FSTP. Next, you will need to take approved language tests in English and/or French. You will need to require minimum criteria set for language skills under FSTP. If you have studied outside Canada in an eligible program, you can also claim the additional CRS points by getting an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report.


Now is the time to create and submit your online profile for Express Entry on IRCC’s official website. This online profile will collect your details like age, education, language proficiency, work experience and professional skills. Based on this information, your profile will be sorted and ranked against other applicants in the Express Entry pool and you will be given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.


Your CRS score will decide whether you will be invited for permanent residence (PR) or not when IRCC holds its Express Entry draws, usually after every two weeks. When you enter the Express Entry pool, your chances of getting PR increase because of a chance of getting a provincial nomination from a province or territory. This provincial nomination will give you extra 600 CRS points automatically, thereby guaranteeing that you will be invited for PR.

If you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR, you will need to submit your completed PR application to IRCC within the given deadline. Usually, IRCC will process PR applications is six months or less.


Advantages of FSTP

The Canadian immigration authorities have identified immigration of skilled foreign workers as a key focus area in Canada’s economic growth. Because of Canada’s aging population and a low birth rate, immigration also helps Canadian government to fill labor gaps in critical industries that form the backbone of the nation’s prosperity. Economic immigration programs like FSTP are a part of that push to welcome skilled workers in the trades occupations.


Now, the question is why is FSTP better than other programs? There are more than a couple of reasons for that! For starters, FSTP candidates usually have lower CRS scores than other candidates in the express Entry pool because they are not required to provide any proof about their education levels. Additionally, if you have work experience in skilled trades, you will be able to get more CRS points than the other applicants in the pool. Research has also shown that having Canadian experience is a major leverage when you apply for PR. All the job knowledge, education, professional networks, work experience, and skills, in addition to the understanding of the local culture and social relationships that you gained when working in Canada will provide you with an edge that your competition lacks.


Finally, last but not the least, IRCC aims to finish processing your PR applications under FSTP within six months. So, if your FSTP application is successful, you can expect to have your PR within six months! Just think about it! Six months and that’s it! Isn’t that exciting?


Minimum Eligibility Requirements

To apply under FSTP, it is mandatory that you meet all the minimum requirements for following:

  • Language proficiency skills

  • Work experience in skilled trades

  • Job offer or certificate of qualification


Language Proficiency

For FSTP, you need to provide proof of your language skills in either English or French languages by taking approved language tests. These approved tests are

  • For English language

    • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program or CELPIP General

    • International English Language Testing System or IELTS

    • Pearson Test of English or PTE Core

  • For French language:

    • Test d’évaluation de français or TEF Canada

    • Test de connaissance du français or TCF Canada

You will be tested on four language abilities in these tests – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. To be eligible to apply for FSTP, your reading and writing skills will require at least a score of CLB 4 or NCLC 4 and your speaking and listening skills will need a minimum of CLB 5 or NCLC 5.


FSTP for CELPIP General Test

CLB Level

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

9 and above

9+

9+

9+

9+

8

8

8

8

8

7

7

7

7

7

6

6

6

6

6

5

5

5

5

5

4

4

4

4

4

 

FSTP for IELTS Test

CLB Level

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

10 and above

7.5-9.0

8.5-9.0

8.0-9.0

7.5-9.0

9

7.0

8.0

7.0

7.0

8

6.5

7.5

6.5

6.5

7

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

6

5.5

5.5

5.0

5.5

5

5.0

5.0

4.0

5.0

4

4.0

4.5

3.5

4.0

 

FSTP for PTE Core Test

CLB Level

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

10 and above

89+

89+

88+

90+

9

84-88

82-88

78-87

88-89

8

76-83

71-81

69-77

79-87

7

68-75

60-70

60-68

69-78

6

59-67

50-59

51-59

60-68

5

51-58

39-49

42-50

51-59

4

42-50

28-38

33-41

41-50

 

FSTP for TEF Canada Test

NCLC Level

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

9 and above

371+

298+

248+

371+

8

349-370

280-297

233-247

349-370

7

310-348

249-279

207-232

310-348

6

271-309

217-248

181-206

271-309

5

226-270

181-216

151-180

226-270

4

181-225

145-180

121-150

181-225

 

FSTP for TCF Canada Test

NCLC Level

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

10 and above

16-20

549-699

549-699

16-20

9

14-15

523-548

524-548

14-15

8

12-13

503-522

499-523

12-13

7

10-11

458-502

453-498

10-11

6

7-9

398-457

406-452

7-9

5

6

369-397

375-405

6

4

4-5

331-368

342-374

4-5

 

Skilled Trades Work Experience

To be eligible to apply under FSTP, you must:

  • have at least two years of paid, full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply for permanent residence (PR).

  • meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

  • show that you have performed most of the main responsibilities listed in the lead statement of the NOC description.


Volunteer work and unpaid internships are not counted as valid work experience. You should also remember that your work experience is considered valid only if you were qualified to practice that trade in the country where you got your work experience. In case you were not qualified to independently practice the trade occupation during this work experience, your application will be rejected.


Skilled Trades NOC Groups

To apply under FSTP, your skilled trades work experience must be in one of the following NOC groups:

  • Major Group 72, technical trades and transportation officers and controllers (excluding Sub-Major Group 726, transportation officers and controllers)

  • Major Group 73, general trades

  • Major Group 82, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production

  • Major Group 83, occupations in natural resources and related production

  • Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers

  • Major Group 93, central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors (excluding Sub-Major Group 932, aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors)

  • Minor Group 6320, cooks, butchers and bakers

  • Unit Group 62200, chefs


Job offer or certificate of qualification

To be eligible under FSTP, you must either have a valid job offer of full-time employment for at least one year time period or a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority. Your job offer must be recent and submitted in form of an official written document from your employer that provides information about the job that is being offered to you. This information may include details about your role and responsibilities, hours of work offered, and annual pay, bonus, and deductions.


If you don’t have a job offer in hand, you can also submit a certificate of qualification which proves that you are qualified to work in a particular skilled trade in Canada. To get these certificates, you will have to pass a certification exam and show that you have met all requirements to practice your trade in the province or territory that issued your certificate.

Usually, a certificate of qualification is issued by the provincial or territorial authorized body that is responsible for the skilled trades sector in their province or territory. In some occupations, like airport maintenance jobs, the federal authorities issue certificates of qualification.


All provinces have different certification processes and requirements. To get a certificate of qualification, your training, skills, and work experience will be assessed by the issuing authority to decide whether you are eligible to write the certification exam or not. If you want to be assessed, you will have to go to that particular province or territory. In case this is not possible, you will need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training in your particular skilled trade.


Education

To be eligible to apply under FSTP, you do not need to show any proof of education. That being said, showing proof of your educational credentials in your immigration application can get your extra CRS points quite easily. Let me explain. If you have studied in Canada, you will be given extra CRS points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution. However, if you have studied outside Canada, you will have to get an ECA report for immigration purposes from an approved organization. This report will show how your foreign education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian educational institution.


Proof of Funds

For FSTP, it is required that you show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada. This is not needed if you are currently able to legally work in Canada and have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada. The funds that you are required to show are based on the size of your family, as shown in the table below.

Number of Family Members

Funds Required

1

$14,690

2

$18,288

3

$22,483

4

$27,297

5

$30,690

6

$34,917

7

$38,875

If more than 7 members, for each additional family member

$3,958

Application Fees

When applying under FSTP, you will need to pay government processing fees. On applying, you need to pay a processing fee of CAD $950 and a Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) of CAD $575, bringing the total to a CAD $1525. If your spouse or common-law partner is included in your application, an additional CAD $1525 will need to be paid. In addition, you will need to pay fees of CAD $260 for each dependent child listed in the application.


Residence in Canada

You need to plan to live and work outside of the province of Quebec. You are eligible to apply under FSTP if you have studied or worked in Quebec previously. What matters is that in the future, it should be your intention to live and work outside Quebec.

Disclaimer:

The content available on this page is for informational purpose only. For professional advice, please book an appointment with our licensed immigration consultants through our website.


 


 
 
 

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