WHAT IS THE FEDERAL SKILLED TRADES PROGRAM (FSTP)?
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. The Government of Canada launched the Federal Skilled Trades Program in January 2013 to facilitate the immigration of skilled tradespeople who meet Canada’s current and evolving economic needs. Skilled tradespeople are assessed on relevant criteria, such as language ability, practical training and work experience rather than formal academic education. The Program was also created in response to requests from Canadian employers for skilled workers to fill labour shortages, particularly in the natural resources and construction sectors. In order to attract and retain qualified, in-demand candidates, the goal is to process applications as quickly as possible. Canada welcomed its first permanent residents under FSTP in August 2013.
HOW DOES ONE APPLY UNDER THE FSTP?
To apply, you must:
- plan to live outside the province of Quebec (Note: The province of Quebec chooses its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information),
- meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening),
- have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience)* in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply,
- meet all job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and
- have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year** or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a provincial or territorial body.***
WHAT ARE THE WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE FSTP?
*“Full-time work” means at least 30 hours of work over a period of one week, or an equal amount in part-time, paid work experience. For example:
- if you worked 15 hours per week in one job over four years, or
- if you worked a total of 30 combined hours per week in more than one job over two years.
HOW CAN I OBTAIN AN OFFER OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT OR A CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATION IN A SKILLED TRADE?
**Up to two employers can commit to employing you for at least one year of continuous full-time work, meaning at least 30 hours of work over a period of one week.
*** In Canada, only the provinces and territories can issue certificates of qualification in the skilled trades. To get this certificate, the provincial or territorial trades authority must assess your training, trade experience and skills to decide if you are eligible to write an exam to be certified.
You will likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training.
WHAT CANADIAN PROVINCES CAN AN FSTP APPLICANT GO TO?
You should go to the website of the body that governs trades for the province/territory where you would like to live and work. The process is different depending on where you want to go.
Each website has more details about whether you need a certificate of qualification to work there in a specific skilled trade, and what you have to do to get one.
WHAT ARE THE JOB REQUIREMENTS SET OUT BY THE National Occupation Classification (NOC)?
Skilled Trades currently eligible for the FSTP are organized under these major groups of the NOC:
- 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, and
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators.
These major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations. In total, 43 jobs (with specific NOC codes) will be eligible to apply under the FSTP in the first year of the program. We will accept no more than 100 applications for certain occupations. Other jobs do not have a limit of 100. See which applications we are accepting.
FSTP applications must be made based on the 2011 version of the NOC. However, if the application includes a Labour Market Opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada based on the 2006 version of the NOC, it will be accepted by CIC as long as the applicant’s occupation corresponds to a 2011 NOC code that is eligible for the program.
WHAT ARE THESE 43 JOBS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE FSTP?
Group A – Jobs with sub-caps of 100 applications each (and their corresponding 2011 NOC code)
- 7202 Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
- 7204 Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
- 7205 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
- 7271 Carpenters
- 7301 Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
- 7302 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
- 8211 Supervisors, logging and forestry
- 8221 Supervisors, mining and quarrying
- 8222 Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling services
- 8241 Logging machinery operators
- 8252 Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- 9211 Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
- 9212 Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
- 9214 Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing
- 9231 Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
- 9241 Power engineers and power systems operators
- 9243 Water and waste treatment plant operators
Group B – no sub-caps (2011 NOC code)
- 7231 Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
- 7233 Sheet metal workers
- 7235 Structural metal and plate work fabricators and fitters
- 7236 Ironworkers
- 7237 Welders and related machine operators
- 7241 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- 7242 Industrial electricians
- 7243 Power system electricians
- 7244 Electrical power line and cable workers
- 7245 Telecommunications line and cable workers
- 7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers
- 7251 Plumbers
- 7252 Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
- 7253 Gas fitters
- 7311 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- 7312 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- 7313 Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
- 7314 Railway carmen/women
- 7315 Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
- 7318 Elevator constructors and mechanics
- 7371 Crane operators
- 7372 Drillers and blasters – surface, mining, quarrying and construction
- 7373 Water well drillers
- 8231 Underground production and development miners
- 8232 Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
- 9232 Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators
WHAT IS A LABOUR MARKET OPINION (LMO)?
A Labour Market Opinion (LMO) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. In some cases, an employer must obtain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO)—which supports the work permit application.
An LMO is the opinion provided by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada to the officer that enables the officer to determine whether the employment of the foreign worker is likely to have a positive or negative impact on the labour market in Canada.
A positive LMO will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker can do the job. A positive LMO is sometimes called a Confirmation letter.
Your proposed employer must contact Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). HRSDC will provide details on the LMO application process.
In some cases, you may not need a LMO to apply for a work permit. People in the following categories need a work permit but do not need an LMO from HRSDC.
- Workers covered under international agreementsProfessionals, traders, investors and business people coming to Canada to work under certain international agreements.
- Participants in exchange programsPeople whose employment in Canada will provide similar employment to Canadians abroad, such as participants in youth exchange programs, teacher exchange programs or other reciprocal programs.
- Spouses
- Spouses and common-law partners of certain foreign students who are studying full-time.
- Spouses and common-law partners of certain skilled foreign workers. See Your Spouse Working in Canada.
- Workers, their spouses/common-law partners or their dependants who are eligible for a work permit through an active pilot projectThrough agreements between the Government of Canada and provincial/territorial governments, some workers, as well as their spouses, common-law partners and dependants, may be eligible for a work permit through an active pilot project without requiring an LMO. These temporary initiatives are designed to attract particular workers that the province or territory needs.Find out if you are eligible to come to Canada through a pilot project.
- Workers nominated by a province for permanent residenceA person who has been nominated by a province for permanent residence and has a job offer from an employer based in that province.
- Entrepreneurs and intra-company transfereesSome types of entrepreneurs, workers transferring within a company, and other types of workers who will provide significant benefit to Canadians or permanent residents by working in Canada.
- Academics and studentsCertain academics and students.
- Co-op studentsForeign students who are studying in Canada and who need to do co-op work placements as part of their program of study.
- Religious workersPeople doing charitable or religious work.
- OthersCertain people who need to support themselves while they are in Canada for other reasons such as the refugee determination process.
WHAT ARE THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE FSTP?
Language testing
Being able to communicate and work in English or French will help you in the Canadian job market.
You must prove your ability and you must show you meet the minimum requirements in English or French in these four areas:
- listening,
- speaking,
- reading, and
- writing.
CIC uses the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) and the Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC). These are the nationally-accepted levels that measure how well an adult who learned English or French as a second language can communicate in that language.
You must meet the minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing.
You must take a language test from an agency approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and include the results when you apply. If you do not, we will not process your application and we will return your fees.
Language test results must not be more than two years old when CIC receives your application.
You can use your test results to find your CLB level. (See chart below.)
Language tests we accept (See chart below.)
WHAT ARE THE GROUNDS FOR INADMISSIBILITY UNDER THE FSTP?
Inadmissibility
Some people are not allowed to come to Canada. They are known as “inadmissible” under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
There are a number of reasons you can be found inadmissible, denied a visa or refused entry to Canada under IRPA, such as:
- security
- human or international rights violations
- criminality
- organized criminality
- health grounds
- financial reasons
- misrepresentation
- non-compliance with IRPA or
- having an inadmissible family member
Do not apply under the Federal Skilled Trades Program if you are not admissible to Canada.
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