Federal Skilled Trades Program
What is this program?
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is for tradespeople — electricians, welders, plumbers, chefs, and similar jobs that involve specialised hands-on work. It's the smallest of the three Express Entry programs but very useful if your job is on the eligible-trades list. Unlike FSW, you don't need a degree, but you do need either a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification.
Who is it for?
- You're qualified in a skilled trade — your job falls under one of the eligible NOC trade groups
- You have at least 2 years of trades work experience in the last 5 years
- You either have a valid full-time job offer from a Canadian employer OR a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province/territory
- Your English or French is at least at the basic-conversation level (CLB 5 speaking/listening, CLB 4 reading/writing)
- You plan to live anywhere in Canada except Quebec
What does it lead to?
Permanent residence via Express Entry. CRS score determines when you're invited to apply. IRCC's current estimate for Express Entry programs is about 7 months after a complete application.
Primary requirements
- 2 years of paid, full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a single eligible skilled-trade NOC within the last 5 years.
- Either a valid job offer for at least 1 year of full-time employment in your trade from up to 2 Canadian employers, OR a certificate of qualification in your trade from a Canadian provincial/territorial body.
- Language test result: CLB 5 in speaking and listening, CLB 4 in reading and writing.
- You meet the duties and job requirements set out in the NOC description for your trade.
- Must plan to live outside Quebec.
What you'll need to apply
- Valid passport
- Language test results (within 2 years)
- Either: a job-offer letter from a Canadian employer (with LMIA if required), OR a certificate of qualification from a province/territory
- Reference letters from each employer documenting your trades work
- If applicable: ECA for any foreign education (not required, but boosts CRS)
- Police certificates from every country you've lived in for 6+ months as an adult
- A medical exam (IRCC will tell you when)
Where to start
Check if you match this program (free)
Or visit the official federal · express entry page for Federal Skilled Trades Program to read the government's own requirements.
If you want professional advice before applying, work with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a Canadian immigration lawyer.
How we keep this page current
- Hourly source check. A scheduled job checks the official source page above every hour and looks for changes.
- Change alert. When the page changes, we record it and review the program rules again.
- Human review.A person checks the change, updates this page if needed, and updates the “Page last edited” date.
- Limits. Some government pages are harder to check automatically. The official source link is still the final source. Open it before you act on anything important.
- Attribution. We write the summary above in our own words from the official government source. Short quotes used for comparison fall under fair dealing under the Canadian Copyright Act. Crown copyright in the underlying government text stays with His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and the province or territory — the government page remains the official version.
Informational only — not immigration advice. Always confirm requirements on the official government page.