Federal-Skilled-Trades_Program-FSTP

Global talent with a background in the skilled trades has access to an immigration track thanks to the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) since 2013. One of the three skilled worker programmes managed by Canada’s Express Entry programme is the FSTP.

 

 

 

What is Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) in 2013 to offer a dedicated immigration pathway to skilled trades workers.

One of three federal economic initiatives run by the Express Entry system of the Government of Canada is the FSTP. Express Entry is the primary channel through which Canada accepts talented immigrants from all socioeconomic backgrounds. With an average of 110,000 yearly immigration spaces designated to Express Entry, Canada plans to accept over 400,000 new immigrants per year under its Immigration Levels Plan.

One of the various options for skilled trades professionals seeking immigration to Canada is to apply through the FSTP. Applying through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), applying to immigrate to Quebec, and applying through other federal immigration schemes are further choices.

 

Benefits of the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

The FSTP is a component of a significant initiative by the federal and provincial governments to attract more skilled tradespeople to Canada in order to overcome a labour shortage in those professions. Canada is increasingly depending on immigration to support its labour force and economic growth because of its aging population and low birth rate. There is a pressing need for workers in skilled crafts.

Immigrating to Canada under the FSTP offers a number of benefits. Under Express Entry, successful FSTP candidates are usually able to obtain their permanent residence within six months.

Because they are not required to provide documentation of their educational background, FSTP applicants may have lower CRS scores than other applicants in the Express Entry pool. Nonetheless, from time to time, IRCC conducts Express Entry drawings for particular programmes that exclusively accept FSTP applicants. Your chances of acquiring permanent residency increase if you apply through Express Entry since you may be nominated by a province, which all but guarantees your success. You will almost certainly eventually be extended a permanent residency invitation through Express Entry if you acquire a provincial nomination, which is worth an extra 600 CRS points.

You have a good chance of succeeding in the Canadian job market if you are an FSTP candidate with Canadian work experience. Candidates who have both worked and studied in Canada are awarded extra Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points by IRCC.

Having Canadian experience is a significant advantage when applying for permanent residence, according to academic and government research in Canada. When you earn permanent residency through the FSTP, the information, contacts, experience, and abilities you acquired while working in Canada will give you a competitive advantage in the job market.

 

Immigration Procedure for FSTP

IRCC uses Express Entry to manage skilled worker applications for three economic class skilled worker immigration programs including the FSTP.

You must first confirm that you satisfy the requirements of the FSTP, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programme. If you are eligible, you can upload your Express Entry profile to the IRCC website, where you will be given a CRS score based on factors such your age, education, language proficiency, work experience, and time spent working and studying in Canada. The IRCC performs Express Entry drawings regularly every two weeks, asking the applicants with the highest CRS scores to submit applications for permanent residence. You will be given a deadline by IRCC by which to submit your application for permanent residence.  IRCC will aim to process your application within six months.

The procedure will work out in the following manner :

Step 1: See if you meet the FSTP’s eligibility criteria. You can check TransvisionImmigration’s Free Assessment

Step 2: In order to participate in the FSTP or another Express Entry programme, you must pass an English and/or French language test that has been approved by the IRCC. If you participated in an appropriate study abroad programme, you might also want to request an Educational Credential Evaluation to claim the extra CRS points you are entitled to.

Step 3: Submit your Express Entry profile on IRCC’s website for free.

Step 4: See if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency by following IRCC’s Express Entry drawings. Every two weeks, there are often draws.

Step 5: If you receive an ITA, you must send your finished application for permanent residence to IRCC by the deadline. For the majority of applicants, the IRCC’s processing criteria for applications for permanent residence is six months or fewer.

 

Eligibility Criteria for FSTP

In order to be eligible for the FSTP, you must:

 

  • possess a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial organization, or have legitimate job offers of ongoing, paid, full-time employment (at least 30 hours per week) from up to two employers in Canada for a minimum of one year.
  • give evidence that the applicant satisfies the IRCC’s minimal requirements for basic language skills, which are Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing.
  • possess two years’ worth of full-time work (or an equivalent amount of part-time work) in the skilled trade within the five years before the application. and
  • be able to demonstrate the skills and experience and that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation

 

Skilled Work Experience

The following National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories describe the types of skilled job experience that are qualified for the FSTP:

 

  • 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.

Candidates for the FSTP must intend to live somewhere other than Quebec. Using a special immigration procedure, the province of Quebec chooses its own talented workers. Please visit the Quebec Skilled Worker Program page for further details if you intend to immigrate to Quebec.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are the minimum language proficiency requirements for FSTP?

You need to take an English and/or French test by a third-party language tester that has been designated by IRCC.

You need to meet the following requirements at a minimum on your test(s):

 

  • at least a CLB 5 (English) or a NCLC 5 (French) for speaking and listening
  • at least a CLB 4 (English) or a NCLC 4 (French) for reading and writing

Your test results cannot be more than two years old on the day you submit your application for permanent residency if you are invited to do so.

 

What is a Certificate of Qualification for FSTP?

A qualification certificate certifies a person’s eligibility to work in a skilled trade in Canada. They have completed a recognized exam and are qualified to work in that capacity in a particular province or territory.

The organization that oversees trades in the relevant province or territory, or a federal government entity, will issue the certificate you get.

 

How to get a Certificate of Qualification for FSTP?

The provinces and territories in Canada are in charge of education and training, according to the constitution. This indicates that they are typically in charge of establishing the standards necessary to conduct a skilled trade in their area.

Your abilities, trades experience, and training must be evaluated by the regulatory body in charge of overseeing your skilled trade in the province or territory of your choice in order to determine whether you qualify to sit for an exam to become certified.

To take the certification exam, you’ll probably need to physically travel to the province or territory. Also, you might need training and job experience from a Canadian employer before you take the exam.

Certain professions are not governed by a province or area (e.g., airplane mechanic). If this is the case, federal regulation may apply to your skilled trade.

 

Job offer requirement for FSTP?

No. However, a job offer is required if you do not have a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade that has been issued by a province or territory in Canada.

 

What is the required job offer under FSTP?

If a job offer is for full-time employment with up to two companies in Canada and a weekly minimum of 30 hours, it qualifies for the FSTP. The position must be offered for at least a year.

Although a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is often required for job offers, there are several exceptions. The federal government uses LMIAs to ensure that hiring foreign nationals won’t have a detrimental effect on the Canadian labour market.

 

Work Experience for FSTP?

According to the FSTP, you can only credit work experience in a trade if you were licensed to do so in the area where you acquired it.

For instance, you might have obtained your credentials and professional experience in one nation. If you later relocated to another nation to work, you could only count the experience you gained there provided you also obtained a license to practice medicine from the appropriate government.

 

Applying under FSTP with a low Express Entry CRS score?

Your chances of being granted permanent residence increase if you apply through Express Entry. If you are in the Express Entry pool, you have the chance to earn a provincial nomination even if your CRS score is low. A provincial nomination will give you 600 more CRS points and very certainly result in an Express Entry invitation for permanent residence.

Remember that creating an Express Entry profile is also cost-free. You can apply for various immigration programmes in addition to creating an Express Entry profile.

 

How to improve the Express Entry CRS score for Federal Skill Trade Program (FSTP)?

 

  • Secure an eligible job offer
  • Claim all the CRS points you are eligible for (e.g., if applicable, get an Educational Credential Assessment If you obtained eligible foreign education)
  • Obtain an eligible academic credential in Canada and/or work in Canada
  • Prepare adequately for your English or French language test and retake it until you are satisfied with your score
  • If applicable, have your spouse or partner as the principal applicant if they have a higher CRS score

 

What is PNP and how to secure it?

The federal government, as well as the provinces and territories, have the responsibility for choosing and settling new immigrants under the Constitution of Canada.

The complete immigration system, including Express Entry and numerous programmes like the FSTP, is managed by Canada’s federal immigration department, IRCC.

The provinces and territories also run their own hiring processes for skilled professionals. Quebec has its own system in place. The Provincial Nominee Program is run by the majority of other provinces and territories. Each province or territory may “nominate” immigration applicants who satisfy their conditions under the PNP. Following a province nomination, IRCC processes the permanent residency applications of immigration candidates.

There are two ways to obtain a provincial nomination. Direct applications to the PNP of a province or territory are accepted. If you are qualified for the FSTP or another programme, you can also join the Express Entry pool and possibly get a request from a province or territory to apply for their PNP. You will receive 600 more CRS points as a result, almost ensuring that you will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry from the IRCC.