Federal Skilled Trades
Skills over papers. Permanent residence for tradespeople.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is the Express Entry pathway that doesn’t require a degree, transcripts, or education credential assessment. Just two years of paid trade experience.
Program Guide
Is the Federal Skilled Trades Program right for you?
A complete guide to eligibility, trade certification in Canada, and the path to permanent residence for skilled tradespeople.
What is the Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST) is one of three federal economic streams managed through Express Entry. It is designed for foreign nationals with hands-on experience in skilled trades who want permanent residence in Canada. Unlike FSW, FST has no education requirement and no points-based grid. Unlike CEC, it does not require Canadian work experience. The qualifying factor is two years of paid full-time experience in an eligible trade, combined with either a Canadian certificate of qualification or a valid Canadian job offer.
FST covers industrial, electrical, construction, maintenance, natural resources, manufacturing, and certain food production trades. IRCC aims to process most complete FST applications within approximately 6 months once an Invitation to Apply is received. Skilled trades workers are also eligible for trades category-based Express Entry draws, which target specific NOC codes and historically issue invitations at lower CRS scores than general draws.
Who qualifies
Before entering the Express Entry pool, candidates must meet four minimum requirements. Failing any of these disqualifies the application.
Skilled work experience
At least 2 years of full time paid work in a skilled trade, or 3,120 hours total, gained within the 5 years before applying. Hours from full time and part time work can be combined.
Skill level and NOC
Experience must fall within NOC Major Groups 72 (excluding Sub-Major Group 726), 73, 82, 83, 92, or 93 (excluding Sub-Major Group 932), or Minor Group 632. Job duties must align with the NOC lead statement and main duties.
Language proficiency
Minimum CLB 5 in speaking and listening, CLB 4 in reading and writing. Lower than FSW or CEC. Proven with IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF taken in the last 2 years.
Certificate or job offer
Either a Canadian certificate of qualification in the trade issued by a provincial, territorial, or federal authority, or a valid full time job offer of at least 12 months from a Canadian employer.
Applicants must also intend to live outside Quebec, which operates its own immigration selection programs, and must be admissible to Canada with no criminal inadmissibility, security concerns, or serious medical conditions.
Eligible trades
FST eligibility covers a broad range of skilled trades grouped under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Each NOC has a defined set of duties, and the applicant's actual work must match those duties to qualify. Trade certification in Canada is regulated at the provincial and territorial level, and recognition standards vary by jurisdiction.
FST eligible NOC groups
- Major Group 72: industrial, electrical, and construction trades (excluding Sub-Major Group 726, transportation officers and controllers)
- Major Group 73: maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major Group 82: supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and related production
- Major Group 83: occupations in natural resources and related production
- Major Group 92: processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors and central control operators
- Major Group 93: central control and process operators and aircraft assembly inspectors (excluding Sub-Major Group 932, aircraft assemblers)
- Minor Group 632: chefs, cooks, butchers, and bakers
Trades category draw NOCs (selected examples)
- 72100 Machinists and machining inspectors
- 72106 Welders and related machine operators
- 72200 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- 72300 Plumbers
- 72310 Carpenters
- 72401 Heavy duty equipment mechanics
- 72402 HVAC mechanics
- 63201 Butchers (added February 2026)
Effective February 18, 2026, the trades category-based Express Entry draws require 12 months of qualifying experience in a single eligible NOC, up from 6 months in 2025. Cooks (NOC 63200) and chefs (NOC 62200) were removed from the trades category in the same update, although they remain eligible for the FST program itself. The April 2, 2026 trades draw issued 3,000 invitations at a minimum CRS of 477.
The application process
FST applications run exclusively through Express Entry. The process has four distinct stages.
01
Eligibility and certification
Confirm you meet FST minimums. Secure a Canadian certificate of qualification or a valid 12 month job offer. Take an approved language test. Get a foreign credential assessment if claiming education points.
02
Express Entry profile
Submit an Express Entry profile online and stay in the pool for up to 12 months. IRCC assigns a CRS score based on age, language, education, work experience, and job offer points.
03
Invitation to Apply
FST candidates can be invited through general draws, program-specific draws, or trades category-based draws. Trades draws have historically targeted CRS scores in the 430 to 477 range. Once invited, you have 60 days to submit a complete PR application.
04
Permanent residence
IRCC aims to process most complete applications within approximately 6 months and issue a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). After landing, certification renewal or licensing in your destination province may be required to practice your trade.
The reality of FST: alternative pathways for international tradespeople
Most internationally trained tradespeople do not enter Canada through FST directly. The certificate or job offer requirement creates a structural barrier that affects skilled trades workers worldwide, regardless of country of origin. Provincial trade certifications generally require an in-person exam in Canada, supervised work hours under a Canadian employer, and a credential assessment process that can take 12 to 24 months. Canadian job offers backed by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment are also difficult to secure from abroad because most employers prefer candidates who already hold a work permit.
The most common pathways used in practice are LMIA-supported work permits leading to CEC after 12 months of Canadian work experience, Provincial Nominee Programs with skilled trades streams, and trades category based Express Entry draws that accept foreign work experience for candidates already in the Express Entry pool. FST works best for candidates who already have a Canadian job offer, who completed trade certification while on a previous Canadian status, or who hold internationally recognized certifications such as Red Seal interprovincial standards.
FST for Latin American applicants
Latin American tradespeople rarely qualify for FST through the certificate route, since trade certifications from Mexico, Central America, and South America are not directly recognized by Canadian provincial authorities. The most realistic pathways are LMIA-supported work permits in trades facing labour shortages, Canadian study programs in trades followed by a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), and category-based trades draws from within the Express Entry pool. Once 12 months of qualifying TEER 2 or 3 experience is accumulated in Canada, CEC typically becomes a more direct path to permanent residence than FST.
Chilean and Costa Rican citizens may use the IEC working holiday program to gain initial Canadian work experience (Mexico's IEC agreement remains suspended). CUSMA work permits, while available to Mexican citizens, generally do not cover trades occupations and are limited to specific professional categories such as engineers, accountants, and scientists. Megrez Immigration Consultants provides bilingual representation in English and Spanish from our Vancouver, British Columbia office throughout the FST, CEC, and Express Entry process.
Why hire an RCIC
Under Canadian law, paid representation before IRCC is restricted to Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), lawyers, and Quebec notaries. RCICs are licensed and regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). FST is one of the most technically complex Express Entry programs because of the certificate and job offer requirements, NOC misclassification risks, and the interplay between FST eligibility and trades category draws. A licensed consultant can assess whether FST is the right pathway or whether an alternative such as PNP, LMIA work permit, or CEC would be more efficient.
Megrez Immigration Consultants is a CICC licensed firm and has operated in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1996.
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