Federal Skilled Trade Worker
Canada Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC)
The Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) is a Canadian permanent residence pathway for foreign nationals with experience in a skilled trade.
Foreign nationals looking to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Trades Program must first make an expression of interest through the federal Express Entry selection system. The FSTC allows individuals with a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification to obtain permanent residence in any Canadian province or territory other than Quebec.
Eligibility Criteria for the Federal Skilled Trades Class
In order to qualify for a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa, Federal Skilled Trades applicants must:
*A certificate of qualification proves that a foreign national is qualified to work in a skilled trade occupation in Canada. With a certificate of qualification, applicants prove they have passed a certification exam or met all the requirements to practice their trade in a specific province or territory.
Skilled work experience eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Class falls under the following categories of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
FSTC candidates must plan to reside outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers through a unique immigration system. If you plan on immigrating to Quebec, please visit the Quebec Skilled Worker Program page for more information.
Federal Skilled Trades Class and Express Entry
The FSTC is one of three federal economic programs managed by the Government of Canada's Express Entry system. This means that in order to begin the process of immigrating to Canada as a tradesperson, you must first create an online Express Entry profile and obtain a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS determines your ranking in the Express Entry pool based on factors like skills, work experience, language ability, education and others.
FSTC candidates may have lower CRS scores than other candidates in the Express Entry pool because they are not required to prove their level of education.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), however, has held program-specific draws where FSTC candidates with CRS scores as low as 199 were prioritized. See a complete overview of Express Entry draws that have taken place so far.