Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)

Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST) is one of the three federal immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system. Like all Express Entry programs, FST uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank candidates, inviting only the most competitive applicants to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Each year, more than half of immigrants to Canada are skilled workers entering through economic programs, including the FST program. For qualified tradespeople, the FST program can be a fast route to obtaining permanent residency in Canada, along with the right to live and work in the country permanently.

Eligibility Requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)

To qualify for Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), a candidate must have at least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade (or an equivalent amount of part-time work). This work experience must have been obtained within the past five years and only includes work done after the applicant received official certification to practice their trade in their country of residence.

Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes categorise skilled trades into the following groups:

• 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: Supervisors of processing, manufacturing, and utilities, and central control operators

• Minor Group 632: Chefs and cooks

• Minor Group 633: Butchers and bakers

In addition to work experience, applicants must meet the following FST eligibility criteria:

1. Employment in Canada

   • A valid full-time job offer for at least 12 months or

   • A certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority

2. Language Skills

   • Achieve at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in an approved English or French language test

3. Residence in Canada

   • Intend to live outside the province of Quebec

If candidates meet these requirements, they can submit an Express Entry profile for the FST program. However, they must also satisfy Canada’s basic admissibility requirements. Certain criminal offences or medical conditions may make a person inadmissible.

FST Application Process

Eligible candidates can submit their profile to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) through Express Entry. Submitting a profile does not guarantee permanent residency. Once the profile is submitted, a CRS score is assigned, and the candidate is considered in future draws for Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

When submitting an Express Entry profile, FST candidates must provide:

• Language Test Results

  • All Express Entry applicants must provide results from an approved language test taken within the last two years

• Identification Documents

  • Candidates must provide identification information; ideally, they and all accompanying family members should have valid passports

• Educational Documents (if claiming points)

  • To claim education points, FST candidates must submit a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report that verifies the value of their foreign education according to Canadian standards. Five organisations in Canada are authorised to issue ECA reports. Canadian educational credentials do not require an ECA

Since the Express Entry system was launched in 2015, the lowest CRS score for an FST candidate to receive an ITA has been 199 points. Candidates with lower scores should actively seek ways to improve their CRS score.

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