Federal Skilled Trades Class applications are assessed based on an applicant’s ability to become economically established upon immigration to Canada.

From January 1, 2015, eligible candidates for the Federal Skilled Trades Class (formerly the Federal Skilled Trades Program) must make an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada through the Express Entry selection system for immigration to Canada.

The Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) allows individuals with job offers or appropriate certification to work in certain occupations to obtain Canadian permanent residence in any Canadian province or territory other than Quebec.

On November 1, 2017, the Government of Canada announced multi-year immigration targets for 2018-2020. Get the details on this page.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to qualify for a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa, Federal Skilled Trades applicants must:

  • Have offers of employment from up to two employers in Canada of at least one year duration OR a Certificate of Qualification from a provincial or territorial body;
  • Provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization, demonstrating that the applicant meets the minimum threshold set by the Minister — Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing;
  • Have obtained 24 months of qualified work experience in the skilled trade in the last five years; and
  • Be able to demonstrate the skills and experience and that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation.

Skilled Trades currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Class fall into the following general categories 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.