Immigration to Canada through the Federal Skilled Trades program

Tradespeople with knowledge of English can immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

The Federal Skilled Trades (FST) is one of the three federal immigration programs to Canada that is operated through the Express Entry system. It is designed for people who want to move to Canada and have work experience and qualifications in a skilled trade.

Skilled trades are skilled jobs that usually require manual skills and special training. Such work is particularly related to the fields of construction, industrial production, agriculture, natural resource extraction, and heavy machinery.

Minimum requirements

You must meet several requirements to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Trades Program:

minimum high school education;
English of French language proficiency according to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB):
- level 5 in speaking and listening;
- level 4 in reading and writing;
2 years of full-time experience or an appropriate number of part-time hours within the last 5 years;
a job offer from a Canadian employer or a certificate of qualification from the province or territory where you want to live and work;
intension to live outside the province of Quebec;
enough money to settle in Canada (see below).

Suitable occupations

Workers who have experience in one of the following occupations can immigrate through the Federal Skilled Trades Program:

technical trades;
general trades;
supervisors in natural resources, agriculture, and related production;
occupations in natural resources and related production;
processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers;
central control and process operators;
cooks, butchers, and bakers;
chefs.

Proof of funds

You must show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada. You don't need proof of funds if you have a work permit in Canada and a job offer from a Canadian employer.