Helping skilled trades professionals achieve permanent residence in Canada.
Each year, many immigrants to Canada are skilled workers welcomed through economic programs such as the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). For qualified tradespeople, this program can be a fast pathway to obtain Canadian permanent residence and the right to live and work in Canada indefinitely.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is specifically designed for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on their qualifications in a skilled trade.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is one of the three federal immigration programs managed through the Express Entry system. Like other Express Entry programs, candidates are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Only the most competitive candidates receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence.
To begin the process, applicants must:
Create an Express Entry profile
Receive a CRS score
CRS cut-off scores for Federal Skilled Trades draws are often lower than other programs, with minimum scores previously reported as low as 199.
Submitting an Express Entry profile does not guarantee permanent residence. Candidates are considered in future Express Entry draws based on their CRS score.
To qualify under the Federal Skilled Trades Program, applicants must have work experience in a skilled trade under the National Occupational Classification (NOC), either inside or outside Canada.
Applicants must have worked in one of the listed major or minor NOC trade categories to be eligible.
A Certificate of Qualification is an official document confirming that you have passed a provincial trade certification exam and meet the requirements to practice that trade in a specific province.
To obtain a Certificate of Qualification, applicants must contact the regulatory authority responsible for their trade in the intended province. The authority will assess education, work experience, and skills to determine eligibility to take the certification exam.
If the trade is not regulated at the provincial level, it may be regulated federally.
To qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Class, applicants must have either:
A valid Certificate of Qualification, or
A valid job offer
This must meet the specific requirements under the Federal Skilled Trades category and should not be confused with a regular job offer.
If you have skilled trade experience and meet eligibility requirements, our team can guide you through Express Entry and help you prepare a strong Federal Skilled Trades application.
