Federal Skilled Trades Program

What is Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)?

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) was introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2013 to provide skilled trades workers with a dedicated immigration pathway.

One of the three federal programs that run under the Canadian government's Express Entry system is the FSTP. The primary gateway for skilled people from the economic class to immigrate to Canada is through Express Entry. With an average of 110,000 yearly immigration spaces allotted to Express Entry, Canada hopes to welcome over 400,000 newcomers each year under its Immigration Levels Plan.
One of the several options available to skilled trades professionals seeking immigration to Canada is the FSTP application process. Applying through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), applying through various federal immigration schemes, and seeking to come to Quebec are more choices.

What advantages does the FSTP offer?

To help solve the labor shortage in trades occupations, the federal and provincial governments are extending a warm welcome to more skilled trades workers in Canada through the FSTP. Canada is becoming more dependent on immigration to sustain its labor force and economic growth because of its aging population and low birth rate. There is a great demand in the skilled crafts.

Numerous advantages come with using the FSTP to immigrate to Canada. Successful FSTP applicants can often receive permanent residency via Express Entry in less than six months.

The fact that FSTP candidates are exempt from requiring proof of schooling may contribute to their lower CRS scores relative to other candidates in the Express Entry pool. Nevertheless, the IRCC periodically hosts Express Entry lotteries only to FSTP candidates, which are program specific. As you may acquire a province nomination through Express Entry, which almost guarantees your success, joining the pool boosts your chances of acquiring permanent residence.

You have a good chance of succeeding in the Canadian job market if you are an FSTP applicant with Canadian work experience. More Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points are awarded by the IRCC to candidates who have both studied and worked in Canada.

Academic and government research from Canada demonstrates that experience in the country is a significant benefit when applying for permanent residency. When you apply for permanent residency under the FSTP, the information, contacts, experience, and abilities you gathered while working in Canada will provide you a competitive advantage in the job market.

How the FSTP facilitates the immigration process:

Three economic class skilled worker immigration programs, including the FSTP, are managed by the IRCC through Express Entry.

First, you must confirm that you fulfill the requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, or the FSTP qualifying criteria. If you are eligible, you may upload an Express Entry profile to the IRCC website. From there, you can get an estimate of your CRS score based on many factors, including your age, education, language proficiency, employment history, and previous work and study experience in Canada. The IRCC conducts Express Entry lotteries every two weeks, asking the applicants with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residency. You will get a deadline from IRCC to submit your application for permanent residency. Your application will be processed by IRCC in a maximum of six months.

Here is a detailed explanation on how to use the FSTP to pursue immigration to Canada:

·       Step 1: Check to see whether you qualify for the FSTP.

·       Step 2: You must pass an official IRCC-recognized English and/or French language exam if you fulfill the requirements for the FSTP or another Express Entry program. You might also wish to have an Educational Credential Assessment to claim the extra CRS points you are qualified for if you studied abroad in an approved program.

·       Step 3: Complete the free Express Entry profile submission form on the IRCC website.

·       Step 4: Check if you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence by following the IRCC's Express Entry drawings. Generally, draws happen every two weeks.

·       Step 5: Within the allotted time frame, send your completed application for permanent residency to IRCC if you obtain an ITA. For most applicants, the IRCC processes petitions for permanent residency in six months or less.

Qualifications

To qualify for the FSTP, you must be able to:

·       Possess a certificate of qualification* from a provincial or territorial organization OR a valid job offer of continuous, paid, full-time work (at least 30 hours per week) from up to two employers in Canada for at least one year.

·       Demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum requirements set by the IRCC, which are Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing

·       Have two years of full-time work experience (or an equivalent amount of part-time work) in the skilled trade in the five years prior to applying

·       Provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization.

A certificate of qualification is used by applicants to demonstrate that they have completed all criteria for practicing their trade in a particular province or territory, or that they have passed a certification exam.

Skilled work experience eligible for the FSTP falls under the following categories of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):

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: processing, manufacturing, and utilities supervisors and central control operators,

Minor Group 632: chefs and cooks, and

Minor Group 633: butchers and bakers.

FSTP candidates must plan to reside outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers through a unique immigration system. If you plan on immigrating to Quebec, please visit the Quebec Skilled Worker Program page for more information.

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