FEDERAL SKILL TRADE
Citizenship and Immigration Canada established the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST) in order to promptly respond to labour shortages in parts of Canada that are experiencing explosive economic growth. The program will allow skilled workers in certain trades to obtain Canadian permanent residency. This program is particularly applicable to prospective applicants with training and work experience in certain in-demand trades, such as welders, crane operators, cooks and chefs, and electricians.
In order to meet the criteria for the Federal Skilled Trades Class, an applicant must:Plan to settle outside of Quebec. Applicants who plan to live in Quebec do not qualify for the FST, as Quebec regulates its own immigration. If you plan to live in Quebec, consider applying to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program as an alternative.
Demonstrate proficiency in English or French. Proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages can only be confirmed through a language test from an agency approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Applicants must meet specific Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels to indicate their proficiency in French or English. To qualify, an applicant must have a minimum score of CLB 5 in the speaking and listening categories and a minimum score of CLB 4 for reading and writing.
Have at least two years of full time work experience in a skilled trade. or an equal amount of part time work experience. The two years of work experience in a skilled trade must have been completed in the five years prior to the application date. Holding two part time jobs with separate employers that together add up to 30 hours of work a week will also count as full time work experience.
Meet the requirements for a particular skilled trade that is eligible for the program. The complete list of the 90 eligible occupations can be found on Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website. The eligible occupations generally fall into one of the following six categories: industrial, electical and construction trades; maintenance and equipment operation trades; supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production; processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators; cooks and chefs; and bakers and butchers.