Federal Skilled Trades Program: 6 Step-by-Step Guide For Your Application

If you are a skilled tradesperson and want to immigrate to Canada, then the Federal Skilled Trades Program might be the ideal immigration program for you. This program allows skilled workers to apply for permanent residency in Canada. The following article will provide you with all the information you need to apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program in Canada.

What is the Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry)?

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is an immigration program that allows skilled tradespersons to immigrate to Canada. This program is part of the Express Entry system, which is an online system used by the Canadian government to manage applications for permanent residency.

Express Entry is a points-based system, where candidates are assessed based on various factors, such as age, education, language skills, work experience, and more. Click here to read more about the Express Entry 

To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry), you must meet the following requirements:

Work Experience

You must have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade in the last five years.

Language Skills

You must meet the minimum language proficiency requirements for one of Canada’s two official languages (English or French). Speaking, reading, writing and listening and you must meet the minimum score of Canadian language benchmark 5 for speaking and listening and Canadian language benchmark 4 for reading and writing.

Education

There are no minimum education requirements for this program, but having a certificate or diploma from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution can increase your chances of being selected.

Job Offer

You must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer for a total period of at least one year. The job offer must be for a full-time position in a skilled trade, and the employer must have obtained a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Certificate of Qualification

You must have a certificate of qualification from a Canadian provincial or territorial authority in the skilled trade you are applying for.

Meet The Job Requirement

You must meet the job requirement for the skilled trade program as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), except for needing a certificate of qualification.

Proof Of Funds 

You must have proof of enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada unless you have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada or you are currently able to legally work in Canada.

How to Apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program

Step 1: Determine Your Eligibility

Before you can apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must determine if you are eligible. To do this, you can use the Canadian government’s Come to Canada tool. This tool will ask you a series of questions to determine if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Skilled Work Experience 

The skill trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organised into the different groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)

Which are; 

Major group 72, this group includes trade like technical trades and transportation offices and controllers and this excludes sub-major group 726 transportation offices and controllers. 

Major group 73, this group includes the general trades. 

Major group 82, which are the supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production.

Major group 83, which are occupations in natural resources and related production.

Major group 92, which are utilities supervisor, processing and manufacturing, and utilities operators and controllers 

Major group 93, which are central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors but excluding sub-major group 932 aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors 

 Minor group 6,320, which are bakers, butchers and cooks

Unit group 62,200, which are chefs

If you do not have proof that your experience meets the description in the national occupational classification your application will be refused.

Step 2: Create an Express Entry Profile

If you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry), the next step is to create an Express Entry profile. To do this, you will need to provide information about your work experience, education, language skills, and more. Once you have created your profile, you will be given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which is used to rank you against other candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Step 3: Obtain a Job Offer

To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. The job offer must be for a full-time position in a skilled trade, and the employer must have obtained a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). An LMIA is a document that shows that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the job.

Step 4: Obtain a Certificate of Qualification

To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must have a certificate of qualification from a Canadian provincial or territorial authority in the skilled trade you are applying for. To obtain this certificate, you will need to pass a certification exam or provide evidence of your work experience.

Step 5: Apply for Permanent Residency

Once you have a job offer and a certificate of qualification, you can apply for permanent residency through the Express Entry system. To do this, you will need to submit an online application and provide supporting documents, such as your passport, language test result, police certificates, medical exams, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, and death certificate, depending on what you need and what is demanded of you.