Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. FST applicants must go through the Express Entry system.

FST-Eligibility Requirement  Summary 

  • Language Proficiency: CLB 5 (Speaking & Listening), CLB 4 (Reading & Writing)
  • Work Experience: 2-years full-time or equivalent part-time out of last 5-years
  • In respective skilled-level occupation, a substantial number of duties as per NOC
  • Relevant Employment: Obtain a certificate of qualification issued by a competent provincial authority.
  • Education: No requirement, but can score more points in the EE system.

Federal Skilled Trades 

Basic Requirements Summary:

    • To be eligible, you must:
    • plan to live outside the province of Quebec (The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers),
    • meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening),
    • have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply,
    • have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.

Notes on Work Experience 

  • Two year full-time work experience
  • This means you have to work a total of at least 30 hours over a period of one week for two years in your skilled trade within the five years before you apply. For example:
  • Full Time   30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
  • Part time  15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
    OR   30 hours/week for 12 months at more than one job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
  • Offer of full-time employment
    • Up to two employers can commit to employing you for at least one year of continuous full-time work, meaning a total of at least 30 hours of work per week.
  • Certificate of qualification
    • In Canada, provinces and territories issue certificates of qualification in the skilled trades. To get a certificate, the provincial or territorial trades authority must assess your training, trade experience and skills to decide if you are eligible to write an exam to be certified.

Skilled Work Experience

  • Skilled Trades currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these major and minor groups of the 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.
  • These major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations. (All are NOC skill type B.)

Duties Comply with NOC

  • You must show that you did the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC, including all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
  • If you do not show that your experience meets the description in the NOC,  IRCC will not accept your application.
  • This means you must find the NOC code, title and skill type or level for your job.
  • Federal Skilled Trades Program applications must be made based on the 2016 version of the NOC.
  • However, if the application includes a LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada based on the 2011 version of the NOC,  IRCC will accept it as long as your occupation corresponds to a 2016 NOC code that is eligible for the program.

Education

  • There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to earn points for your education under Express Entry, you either need:
  • a Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree OR
  • a completed foreign credential, and
  • an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an agency approved by IRCC.
  • [The report must show your foreign education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.]

Language Ability

  • You must:
  • meet the minimum language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 for reading and writing, and
  • take a language test approved by IRCC that shows you meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.
  • You must show that you meet the requirements in English or French by including the test results when you complete your Express Entry profile.
  • Your test results must not be more than two years old on the day you apply for permanent residence.

Be Assessed by the Province or Territory

  • You will likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training.
  • You should go to the website of the body that governs trades for the province/territory where you would like to live and work. The process is different depending on where you want to go.
  • Each website has more details about whether you need a certificate of qualification to work in that province or territory in a specific skilled trade, and what you have to do to get one.

Provincial Links (may change)

Find your NOC code and positions for FWT 

6321  Chefs
6322  Cooks
6331  Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers-retail and wholesale
6332  Bakers
7201  Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
7202  Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
7203 Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
7204   Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
7205  Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
7231  Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7232  Tool and die makers
7233  Sheet metal workers
7234  Boilermakers
7235 Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
7236  Ironworkers
7237  Welders and related machine operators
7241  Electricians (except industrial and power system)
7242  Industrial electricians
7243 Power system electricians
7244  Electrical power line and cable workers
7245 Telecommunications line and cable workers
7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7247  Cable television service and maintenance technicians
7251 Plumbers
7252  Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
7253  Gas fitters
7271 Carpenters
7272  Cabinetmakers
7281  Bricklayers
7282  Concrete finishers
7283  Tilesetters
7284  Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
7291  Roofers and shinglers
7292  Glaziers
7293  Insulators
7294  Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
7295 Floor covering installers
7301  Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
7302  Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
7303  Supervisors, printing and related occupations
7304  Supervisors, railway transport operations
7305  Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
7311  Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
7312  Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
7313 Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
7314  Railway carmen/women
7315  Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
7316 Machine fitters
7318  Elevator constructors and mechanics
7321  Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
7322  Motor vehicle body repairers
7331 Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics
7332  Appliance servicers and repairers
7333 Electrical mechanics
7334 Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics
7335  Other small engine and small equipment repairers
7361  Railway and yard locomotive engineers
7362  Railway conductors and brakemen/women
7371  Crane operators
7372  Drillers and blasters-surface mining, quarrying and construction
7373  Water well drillers
7381 Printing press operators
7384 Other trades and related occupations, n.e.c.
8211  Supervisors, logging and forestry
8221  Supervisors, mining and quarrying
8222  Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services
8231  Underground production and development miners
8232 Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
8241  Logging machinery operators
8252 Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
8255  Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
8261  Fishing masters and officers
8262  Fishermen/women
9211 Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
9212 Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
9213  Supervisors, food, beverage and associated products processing
9214  Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing
9215  Supervisors, forest products processing
9217  Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing
9221  Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling
9222  Supervisors, electronics manufacturing
9223  Supervisors, electrical products manufacturing
9224 Supervisors, furniture and fixtures manufacturing
9226  Supervisors, other mechanical and metal products manufacturing
9227  Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly
9231 Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
9232  Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators
9235  Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators
9241  Power engineers and power systems operators
9243  Water and waste treatment plant operators