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Federal Skilled Trade Program
Canadian Immigration
Indian Immigration Services
What is the Federal Skilled Trade Program?
The Federal Skilled Trades Program was launched by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2013 to provide immigration opportunities for skilled trades people to join the Canadian labour force. The Express Entry system in Canada manages three federal economic programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), and the Canadian Experience Class Program (CEC). The FST Program is the only program that offers immigration opportunities to individuals qualified in a skilled trade. To determine eligible candidates, the FST adopts the Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank interested candidates. The CRS selects candidates eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
Who is eligible for the program?
If you want to qualify for the federal skilled worker program, candidates are not mandated to have any connection to Canada. Candidates can fulfill requirements such as work experience, education, and language proficiency outside Canada. This makes this program suitable for people who live outside Canada. Also, candidates of the Federal Skilled Worker Program have higher chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Who is eligible for the program?
Candidates for the Federal Skilled Trades Program must meet the following requirements and have proof of experience in any of the Canadian National Occupational Classifications provided below:
Note that if you have skills related to any of the categories above, there are other eligibility criteria to consider. The eligibility requirements include the following:
Language Proficiency
Before becoming eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, an individual must pass a language proficiency test. The scope of the language test covers the following:
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
You must obtain the following to be eligible for Canadian permanent residence, and your language test result must be at most two years when applying:
- Not less than CLB 5 (English) or NCLC 5 (French) for speaking and listening.
- Not less than CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) for reading and writing.
Work Experience
You must possess a minimum of two years of paid labour in a skilled trade (either combination of full-time or part-time work). You are eligible if you have worked 30 hours per week over two years or worked 15 hours weekly in trade over four years.
Employment
You must have a valid full-time job offer for at least one year or a skilled trade qualification certificate issued by a provincial, territorial, or federal authority in Canada.
Residence
To be eligible for the FST, you must intend to live outside Quebec. You must live in the province or territory that nominated you if you are a Provincial Nominee. However, if you plan on living in Quebec, you must apply to the Government of Quebec for a Quebec Selection Certificate. If chosen, you must apply to the IRCC for permanent residence.
Admissible to Canada
You will not be eligible for Canadian permanent residence if you have committed a felony in your home country. Also, suppose you have a severe medical condition that poses a health threat to Canada or excessive demand from publicly funded Canadian health and social services. In that case, you will not be admissible to Canada.
Proof of funds
You must submit proof of funds to determine if you can settle in Canada and support yourself and your family. The IRCC will waive the proof of funds criteria if you have a valid job offer in Canada.
Education
There is no educational requirement to qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
How can someone apply for the Federal skilled trade program?
To meet the eligibility criteria for the Federal Skilled Trade Program, you must create and submit an Express Entry pool profile to IRCC. After submitting your profile, you will be ranked using different factors and assigned a CRS score. The IRCC will invite you to apply for Canadian permanent residence if you have a competitive score.
Creating and submitting your profile to the Express Entry pool does not guarantee that the IRCC will invite you to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
When submitting an Express Entry profile, you will be required to submit the following documents:
When submitting an Express Entry profile, you will be required to submit the following documents:
- Language Proficiency Test Results: Your language test results should be at most two years when submitting your profile.
- Identification Documents: All candidates and all accompanying family members must have valid passports.
- Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA): Although educational qualification is not required to be eligible for the FST program, you can score points for education by providing an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has approved specific organizations to provide an ECA.
What are the advantages of FST program to the students on Work Permit?
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) offers several advantages to students on a work permit in Canada, including:
- Pathway to permanent residency: The FSTP provides a pathway to permanent residency for skilled trades workers in Canada, allowing students on work permits to eventually apply for permanent residency.
- Recognition of skills: The FSTP recognizes the skills and experience of students in a skilled trade, which may help them find better job opportunities in Canada.
- Job opportunities: The FSTP helps to address the shortage of skilled workers in Canada, providing students on work permits with job opportunities in their trade.
- Improved job security: Permanent residency provides students with improved job security and stability, as they are no longer tied to their work permit and can work for any employer in Canada.
- Access to social services: Permanent residency allows students to access social services, such as health care and education, which may not be available to those on a work permit.
- Opportunities for family members: Permanent residency can also provide opportunities for students’ family members, such as spouses and dependents, to live and work in Canada.
- Increased earning potential: Permanent residency can lead to increased earning potential and career advancement opportunities, as students can work in their trade without restrictions.
What are the advantages of the FST program?
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is a strategy designed by the Canadian Government to reduce the shortage of skilled labour and leverage the experience and skills of proficient tradespeople worldwide. As against other federal programs for immigrants, the Federal Skilled Trades Program has the following advantages:
- You have a better chance of being invited by the IRCC to submit your permanent residence application if you have the lowest minimum score of 199, as opposed to 413, for the FSW Program and Canadian Experience Class.
- The Canadian language benchmark for FST is lower than the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class Program.
- If you have a valid employment, you stand a better chance of being invited by the IRCC to apply for permanent residence as it will add more points to your score.
FAQ’s
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Yes, you can apply for the FST program outside of Canada. The Canadian Government designed the Federal Skilled Trades Program to provide a platform for immigrants to join the Canadian labour force.
Yes, you must show proof of funds for the FST program if you are yet to get a valid job offer in Canada. The proof of funds must show available funds, not from assets. The evidence of funds is to determine if you have sufficient funds to settle and support yourself in Canada.
The timeframe for FST applications is six months from the time the Canadian authorities receive the application to the issuance of a permanent residence visa.