Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

To apply, you must:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec (Note: The province of Quebec chooses its own skilled workers.),
• meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening),
• have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience)* in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply,
• meet all job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and
• have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year** or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a provincial or territorial body.***

*“Full-time work” means at least 30 hours of work over a period of one week, or an equal amount in part-time, paid work experience. For example:

• if you worked 15 hours per week in one job over four years, or
• if you worked a total of 30 combined hours per week in more than one job over two years.

**Up to two employers can commit to employing you for at least one year of continuous full-time work, meaning at least 30 hours of work over a period of one week.

*** In Canada, only the provinces and territories can issue certificates of qualification in the skilled trades. To get this certificate, the provincial or territorial trades authority must assess your training, trade experience and skills to decide if you are eligible to write an exam to be certified. 

You will likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training.

You should go to the website of the body that governs trades for the province/territory where you would like to live and work. The process is different depending on where you want to go.

National Occupation Classification (NOC) requirements

Skilled Trades currently eligible for the FSTP are organized under these major groups 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, and
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators.

These major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations. In total, 43 jobs (with specific NOC codes) will be eligible to apply under the FSTP in the first year of the program. CIC will accept no more than 100 applications for certain occupations. Other jobs do not have a limit of 100. See which applications CIC are accepting.

FSTP applications must be made based on the 2011 version of the NOC. However, if the application includes a Labour Market Opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada based on the 2006 version of the NOC, it will be accepted by CIC as long as the applicant’s occupation corresponds to a 2011 NOC code that is eligible for the program.

Language testing

You must show you meet the minimum requirements in English or French for each of the four language abilities:

• reading,
• writing,
• speaking, and
• listening.

To do this, you must take an English or French language test from an organization approved by CIC. You must then include the results of your test with your application.

Inadmissibility

Some people are inadmissible—they are not allowed to come to Canada. Several things can make you inadmissible, such as being involved in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime.

You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.