📄 Details
Visa Overview
The Canada Federal Skilled Trades (FST) Program is an Express Entry immigration stream for skilled tradespeople who want to become permanent residents in Canada, provided they have eligible work experience and either a job offer or a certificate of qualification.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must meet requirements across several dimensions including skilled trade work experience, a job offer or certificate of qualification, language ability, and admissibility.
Work Requirements
- Your skilled work experience must all be in the same NOC and be in 1 of these NOC groups: Major Groups 72 (excluding Sub-Major Group 726), 73, 82, 83, 92, or 93 (excluding Sub-Major Group 932); Minor Group 6320; or Unit Group 62200.
- You must show that you performed the actions in the lead statement of the NOC job description and most of the main duties listed.
- Your work must meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the NOC.
- Work must be paid work (wages or commission; volunteer work or unpaid internships do not count).
- Experience must have been obtained in a country where you were qualified to practice.
- You must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or 3,120 hours total) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply.
- You can meet the 3,120 hour requirement in a few different ways: full time at 1 job: up to 30 hours/week for 24 months, equal amount in part-time work (for example, 15 hours/week for 48 months), or full time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 24 months.
- You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement. For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need.
- Hours worked above 30 hours per week are not counted.
- If you worked in more than one country, your work experience only counts if you were qualified to practise that trade where you got your work experience. If you were qualified in one country but worked in another with different rules, you must have met the requirements to practise there independently.
- Work experience gained while studying does not count towards minimum requirements.
Language Requirements
- You must take approved language tests in English or French.
- You must meet the minimum score in all 4 abilities: writing, reading, listening, and speaking.
Skills Assessment Requirements
- You must have either a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
- A certificate of qualification proves you passed a certification exam and meet all requirements to practice your trade in the province or territory that issued the certificate.
- To get a certificate, the provincial, territorial or federal authority must assess your training, trade experience and skills to decide if you are eligible to write a certification exam.
- If the province or territory where you plan to live does not give certificates of qualification in your trade, you need a valid job offer to be eligible.
Financial Requirements
- You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada.
- You do not need proof of funds if you are currently able to legally work in Canada and have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada.
Health and Character Requirements
- You must be admissible to Canada. Some people are not allowed to come to Canada for security, criminal, or medical reasons.
Residence and Regional Requirements
- You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. Quebec selects its own skilled workers.
- You can count work experience gained while living in Quebec, as long as you can prove you do not plan to settle there.
- You will have to include proof and expect officers to check anything you provide.
- If you are a Provincial Nominee, you must settle in the province or territory that nominated you.
Study Requirements
- There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. If you want to improve your rank in the pool, you may consider education.