Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Canadian government has created a program for talented people with international job experience who desire to permanently relocate to Canada. The Federal Skilled Trades Program means even those who work in trades can become Canadian permanent residents.

What is the Federal Skilled Trades Class?

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled labour. It is targeted at workers who seek to become permanent residents because they have a skilled trade qualification. Express Entry, the government's online application system for skilled workers, manages this and the remaining two federal immigration programs.


Eligibility: Experience, Education, IELTS, overall score required

There are minimum requirements you must meet to apply under this class.

Skilled work experience

Skilled work experience, i.e. working in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

  • ⬤ Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
  • ⬤ Professional jobs (skill level A)
  • ⬤ Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

    • This skilled work experience must be:

  • ⬤ in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
  • ⬤ within the last 10 years
  • ⬤ paid work
  • ⬤ At least one year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)—you can meet this in a few different ways:

    • You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement.

    Your skilled work experience must have included compensated employment, such as salary or commissions. Volunteer work and unpaid internships are not included.

    Work experience obtained while enrolled in school may be applied toward your minimum requirements provided the work was compensated by wages or commissions, was continuous (no pauses in employment), and met all of the program's other requirements.

    Language ability

    You must achieve a minimum level of proficiency in:

  • ⬤ CLB 5 (English) or NCLC 5 (French) for speaking and listening, and
  • ⬤ CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) for reading and writing.

    • To prove these skills you have to:

    1. Take approved language tests in English or French for:
    - writing
    - reading
    - listening
    - speaking
    2. get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities
    3. enter the test results in your Express Entry profile

    Your language tests are valid for two years from the day they were completed. They must be valid on the day you submit your application for permanent residence.

    Education

    You must have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary institution if you attended school in Canada.

    If you have foreign education, you must have a completed credential as well as an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization for immigration purposes, demonstrating that your education is equivalent to a completed certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary school or post-secondary institution.

    Proof of funds

    Unless you are currently able to legally work in Canada or have a valid job offer from a Canadian company, you must demonstrate that you and your family have enough money to settle in Canada.

    Admissibility

    Unless you are currently able to legally work in Canada or have a valid job offer from a Canadian company, you must demonstrate that you and your family have enough money to settle in Canada.


    Selection Factors And The Point System

    If you meet all of the minimum requirements, the Canadian government will evaluate your application using the criteria listed below.

  • ⬤ Education
  • ⬤ Work experience
  • ⬤ Age
  • ⬤ Whether you have a job offer that is valid
  • ⬤ Adaptability (how well you'll fit in in Canada)
  • ⬤ Your English and/or French language skills

    • These characteristics are part of a 100-point grid that is used to determine whether or not you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You gain points based on your performance in each of the six factors. The current passing score is 67.

    The six selection factors used are as follows:

  • ⬤ Language skills points
  • ⬤ Education points
  • ⬤ Work experience points
  • ⬤ Age points
  • ⬤ Arranged employment in Canada points
  • ⬤ Adaptability points

    • Application fees

    Fees are broken down according to who is applying and what part of the application is being paid for.

  • ⬤ Principal applicant: CAD 1,325. Made up of a CAD 825 processing fee and CAD 500 right of permanent residence fee.
  • ⬤ Spouse or common-law partner CAD 1,325. Made up of a CAD 825 processing fee and CAD 500 right of permanent residence fee.
  • ⬤ A dependant child of the principal applicant: CAD 225 per child.

    • How long it takes

    Most complete applications are processed within six months.

    Other Federal skill programs