FEDERAL SKILLED TRADES

The Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program allows applicants experienced in a skilled trade to apply for permanent residence. In order to qualify, applicants must have:

• At least two years full-time work experience in a qualifying skilled trade;
• An offer of at least one year of employment from a Canadian employer (or two employers) in a qualifying skilled trade or a Certificate of Qualification in that skilled trade from a provincial or territorial government;
• Minimum English abilities;

The tradespeople qualified include:

• Industrial, electrical and construction trades;
• Maintenance and equipment operation trades;
• Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production;
• Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators;
• Chefs and cooks, and Butchers and bakers.

All together, there are over 90 eligible occupations.

There is no specific educational requirement for this program, however, applicants with no high school diploma or equivalent will receive no points for education under the Express Entry (EE) system.

Applicants who qualify under the FST program must apply through the EE system, and must receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) prior to applying for permanent residence. To date, the lowest score granted an ITA was 450. As most FST applicants have obtained a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) which provides 600 points, they will be selected and granted an ITA.

This program is not available for applicants destined to Quebec, and all applicants must pass medical, criminality and security checks.

We have assisted many skilled tradespeople to obtain permanent residence in this category, and can guide you and your prospective employer(s) through the entire process to a successful conclusion.