The Express Entry system manages three federal immigration programs, including the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program. As with all Express Entry programs, FST uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank interested candidates against one another, only inviting the most competitive candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Over half of all immigrants to Canada are skilled workers who are welcomed through economic programs, including the Federal Skilled Trades program, each year. Qualified tradespeople can quickly obtain Canadian permanent residence and the right to live and work in Canada through the FST program.

In order to be considered for FST, a candidate must have at least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade (or an equivalent amount of time in part-time). This experience must have been acquired within the last 5 years. The only consideration given is work experience obtained after an individual has been granted certification to practice the trade in their country of residence. The following occupation groups are defined as skilled trades by Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code:

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

Minor Group 633

butchers and bakers

If a person does possess the necessary work experience, they also must meet the other eligibility criteria outlined by the FST program:

Canada Employment Connection: Have a valid offer of full-time employment for a position lasting at least 12 months or a certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.

Language: Reach a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 on an approved English or French language test.

Residence in Canada: Must intend to live outside of the province of Quebec.

Provided a candidate meets these requirements, they will be eligible to submit an Express Entry profile for the Federal Skilled Trades program. However, candidates should note that they must meet Canada’s basic admissibility requirements. Certain criminal offences and medical conditions may make a person inadmissible to Canada.

The required documents for this category (vary case-by-case) include (i) educational documents (i.e., diplomas, degrees, certificates, transcripts etc.), (ii) electronic copies of the travel documents and passport(s), (iii) Letters of reference/employment verification letters from previous employers, (iv) police certificates and clearances, (v) proof of language proficiency, (vi) proof of funds to support yourself and any dependents, (vii) proof of work experience in Canada, (viii) recent digital passport-sized photographs, (ix) valid medical exams (may be completed later), (x) other necessary documents such as birth certificate(s), dependant information (if applicable), divorce certificate and legal separation agreement (if applicable), marriage certificate (if applicable), and use of a representative form etc. if applicable.

The first step for a FST visa is to register yourself at https://nsricvisa.ca/registration/ and upload all necessary documents. Then the NSRIC expert team will evaluate the candidate’s documents. NSRIC completes the process in three steps:

(i) Initial review upon receipt of documentation.

(ii) Submission of the application for FST.

(iii) Fulfillment of the final requirement of IRCC and medical exam results processing.

The overall process takes up to 10 months on a case-by-case basis. Please feel free to contact us at info@nsricvisa.ca or +1 226 271 7206 (WhatsApp) if you have any queries.