Express Entry - Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) - Canadian Skilled Trades Immigration

Updated October 6, 2026 — information referenced from IRCC.

What is the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)?

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is a federal permanent residence program for qualified workers in certain skilled trade and technical occupations. FSTP is one of three programs managed through the Express Entry system, alongside the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements create an Express Entry profile, are ranked based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and only submit a permanent residence application upon receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Meeting the minimum requirements or having a job offer does not guarantee an ITA or the granting of permanent residence.

1. Work experience

• At least 2 years of full-time work experience, or an equal amount of part-time experience, within the 5 years before applying: a total of 3,120 hours. IRCC only counts a maximum of 30 hours per week; overtime does not shorten the 2-year requirement.
• Experience must be in the same qualifying NOC code, be paid or compensated, and match the lead statement and most of the main duties of the occupation.
• Candidates must meet the occupational requirements according to the NOC and be qualified to practice independently in the country where the experience was gained.
• Volunteer work, unpaid internships, and experience gained while studying do not count toward the FSTP minimum experience requirement.

2. Qualifying trade groups

According to NOC 2021, experience must fall under one of the following groups:

• Major Group 72: Technical trades and transportation officers; excluding Sub-Major Group 726.
• Major Group 73: General trades.
• Major Group 82: Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture, and related production.
• Major Group 83: Occupations in natural resources and related production.
• Major Group 92: Supervisors in processing, manufacturing, and utilities; operators and controllers in utilities.
• Major Group 93: Central control and process operators and related occupations; excluding Sub-Major Group 932.
• Minor Group 6320: Cooks, butchers, and bakers.
• Unit Group 62200: Chefs.

Job titles alone are not sufficient to determine if an occupation is suitable. You must compare your actual duties with the NOC code and the program's requirements.

3. Job offer or Certificate of Qualification

Candidates must meet at least one of the following two conditions:

• Have a valid job offer for continuous, paid, full-time work for at least 30 hours/week for a total period of at least 1 year. The job offer may be provided by up to 2 employers and must meet IRCC regulations regarding an LMIA or LMIA-exempt situations.
• Have a Certificate of Qualification in the trade, issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority.

A trade certificate from Vietnam does not automatically replace a Canadian Certificate of Qualification. Each trade regulatory body has its own assessment and certification process. If the intended place of residence does not issue certificates for that trade, the candidate requires a valid job offer to meet FSTP requirements.

A work permit alone is not a valid job offer. As of March 25, 2025, job offers no longer earn 50 or 200 CRS points, but they may still be required to meet program eligibility.

4. Language proficiency

• English: minimum CLB 5 for speaking and listening; CLB 4 for reading and writing.
• French: minimum NCLC 5 for speaking and listening; NCLC 4 for reading and writing.
• Accepted tests: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada.
• Test results must be less than 2 years old when completing the Express Entry profile and when submitting the permanent residence application.

5. Education, finances, and place of residence

FSTP has no minimum education requirement. However, Canadian credentials or foreign credentials accompanied by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) can help increase CRS points.

Usually, candidates must prove they have sufficient funds to settle their family in Canada. This requirement is waived if the candidate is authorized to work in Canada and has a valid job offer. The amount depends on family size and is updated by IRCC; please see the official table below.

Candidates must intend to live outside of Quebec and meet admissibility requirements, including health, police certificate, and security checks.

6. Reference process

1. Assess your occupation, experience, language skills, and job offer or trade certification.
2. Prepare language test results, experience documentation, proof of funds, and an ECA if you wish to claim points for foreign education.
3. Create an Express Entry profile and monitor your CRS score and relevant invitation rounds.
4. Upon receiving an ITA, prepare and submit your permanent residence application within the deadline provided in the invitation.
5. IRCC reviews and makes a decision on the application.

FSTP is different from Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades stream. The federal program criteria and provincial nomination requirements must be considered separately. The "trades" invitation categories in Express Entry are also not synonymous with the FSTP program.

KeyApply Services

KeyApply provides support in coordinating, collecting, and organizing documentation, and connects clients with an RCIC or lawyer to manage assessment, consulting, and immigration file representation within the scope of the contract.

Selecting "Register for file assessment" is a step to request contact, not the full immigration service fee. Service fees are quoted separately after determining the scope of work. Government fees, language testing, ECA, trade assessment or certification fees, medical exams, police certificates, translation, and other third-party costs are determined separately in the quote/contract.

Clients can call, email, or message via the website KeyApply.com.

Official sources

• IRCC — Federal Skilled Trades Program
• IRCC — Express Entry
• IRCC — Job offer
• IRCC — Language testing
• IRCC — Proof of funds

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