Federal Skilled Trades Class
Federal Skilled Trades Class
The Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) is for qualified, experienced trades persons from around the world who want to immigrate to Canada permanently. Applications to the FSTC are processed under the Express Entry immigration selection system.
Federal Skilled Trades Class candidates must:
Meet the required language levels for each language ability (speaking, reading, listening, and writing) by submitting results of a language test recognized by the government of Canada. The required minimum results are Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening,and CLB 4 for reading and writing.
Have accumulated at least two years of full-time work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work experience) in the skilled trade during the five previous years.
Be able to demonstrate that the skills and experience gained covers the essential duties of the occupation and
have a full-time offer of employment in that skilled trade for a period of at least one year from up to two Canadian employers OR hold a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade from a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.
Eligible occupation categories:
Industrial
Electrical and Construction
Maintenance and Equipment operations
Agriculture and Production
Processing
Transport
Manufacturing
Cooks and Chefs
Bakers and Butchers
Settlement Funds Requirement
Federal skilled trades candidates without an offer of arranged employment must declare sufficient settlement funds upon entering the Express Entry pool. This declaration must then be proven when an application for permanent residence is made. The requirement for settlement funds increases based on the size of an applicant’s family:
| Number of family members | Required funds (in CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 (single applicant) | $12,960 |
| 2 | $16,135 |
| 3 | $19,836 |
| 4 | $24,083 |
| 5 | $27,315 |
| 6 | $30,806 |
| 7 | $34,299 |
| For each additional family member, add | $3,492 |
Federal Skilled Trades Process
Step 1. Determine Eligibility: Make sure you meet all the requirements of the Federal Skilled Trades Class including two years of work experience in an eligible trade, language requirements and a job offer from an employer in Canada or certificate of qualification from a provincial trades licensing body.
Step 2. Create an Express Entry profile: Eligible individuals must submit an Express Entry profile to the pool of candidates. The Express Entry profile acts as an Expression of Interest (EOI). Eligible candidates will automatically receive a score based on their profile and will be ranked against the other candidates in the pool.
The ranking score for Express Entry is based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and is out of 1,200 points. The higher a candidate’s CRS score, the higher the likelihood they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
The CRS score is used as a cut-off point in Express Entry Draws. It is designed to project a candidate’s likelihood of being economically successful in Canada. It ranks different candidates based on their career and educational history, language skills, and whether they have already received a qualifying job offer or provincial nomination in Canada, among other factors. Candidates can receive additional points if they have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer or if they’ve received a provincial nomination.
Step 3. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA): IRCC conducts Express Entry draws at regular intervals and invites candidates above a certain rank are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. If a candidate is not invited, their profile will expire after 12 months, at which point they may submit a new profile.
Step 4. Submit your application for permanent residence: If you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), you will be given 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence. In this application you will have to provide extensive personal information along with supporting documentation. The entire application is submitted electronically. 80 percent of Express Entry applications are processed in six months or less.
Ready to Apply to the Federal Skilled Trades Class?
We will:
Review your information and develop a strategy to apply
Submit your profile in the Express Entry system
Prepare and submit your permanent resident visa application to IRCC
Act as your authorized representative to IRCC
Update you regularly on the status of your application.
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