FEDERAL SKILLS TRADES

The Federal Skilled Trades Program or FSTP is one of the three programs which help international skilled workers to get jobs and permanent residence in Canada. This program is managed by the Express Entry Canada online platform.

The FSTP gives skilled workers of different backgrounds the opportunity to submit their profiles and get a chance to be invited to apply for a visa. It works similarly to a lottery, but the chances of being selected are quite high since Canada has labor shortages in different occupations.

Each year, the Canadian Government publishes a list of skilled trades that are in shortage in the country and internationals as well as those who are on temporary work permits can submit their profiles and wait to see if they are picked. The skilled trades are in accordance with Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) list. If you become a permanent resident through the Federal Skilled Trades Canada Program, then you can work and live in Canada. After a few years, you will also have the chance to become a Canadian citizen.

Each year, 3,000 people are invited to apply for permanent residence in the Federal Skilled Trades Program from 26 occupations. Out of these 26 occupations, 17 occupations are limited to 100 people while the rest do not have any limits.

Minimum requirements for the FSTP

The minimum requirements that allow you to qualify for the FSTP are as follows:

• Adequate language ability.
• 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a required skilled trade within the last 5 years.
• Meet job requirements for the skilled trade which is set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
• Have a job offer for full-time work by a Canadian employer for at least 1 year or a certificate of qualification that you are skilled in a trade. The certificate of qualification must be issued by a provincial, territorial, or federal Canadian authority.

Language requirements

You must meet the minimum points for either English or French as they are standard languages in Canada. The requirements for speaking and listening are Canadian Language Benchmark – CLB 5 and for reading and writing (CLB 4). You must also take approved tests for speaking, reading, listening, and writing and enter your results on your profile