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Express Entry Program for Canada
A skilled trade is any trade or craft that requires hands-on work to produce something or offer a service. It needs you to have a theoretical and practical knowledge of the work as well as the skills and abilities to do it. Labourers and agriculture workers who do not require any training or apprenticeship to learn their jobs are classified as unskilled workers. Skilled trades require training (and a certification sometimes).
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is meant for people who have at least two years of experience in their skilled trade, meet other requirements, and are interested in migrating to Canada. FSTP is one of the three economic immigration programs covered under the Express Entry (EE) system. It is different from the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) as it caters to the occupations that do not require much education, such as construction workers, chefs, butchers, electricians, welders, etc.
FSWP is meant for highly skilled people with a degree or tertiary qualification in their fields. It is meant for occupations like teachers, accountants, engineers, healthcare practitioners, etc. It is a good idea to apply for the FSWP or the FSTP before the age of 47 to get more points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Federal Skilled Trades Program Processing Time
If your application for Express Entry to Canada as a skilled tradesperson is complete, then it usually gets processed within six months (including the time to give your biometrics). The processing time refers to the in-between period of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) receiving the application and approving/rejecting it. If your application is incomplete, its processing may get delayed or be returned to you.
Read MoreFederal Skilled Trades Program Fee & Cost
Those who apply under the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) through the Express Entry (EE) pathway have to pay the following:
- Application fee for the main applicant is 825 Canadian Dollars
- Application fee for the spouse/common-law partner is 825 Canadian Dollars
- Application fee for each dependent child is 225 Canadian Dollars
- Right of Permanent Residence fee for the main applicant is 500 Canadian Dollars
- Right of Permanent Residence fee for the spouse/common-law partner is 500 Canadian Dollars
- Dependent children are exempted from the PR fee.
- The biometrics fee for the main applicant is 85 Canadian Dollars.
- The biometrics fee for two or more people in one FSTP visa application is 170 Canadian Dollars.
In the case of EE, dependent children are defined as those who are under 22. Children who are 22 or older but have debilitating physical or mental conditions that do not allow them to be financially independent can also be considered ‘dependent’.
The total cost of the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) class immigration is much higher though.
Read MoreFederal Skilled Trades Program Rules & Conditions
Canada is investing heavily in its infrastructure, which means that there are several employment opportunities for those skilled in various trades. You can apply under 200+ designated trades but some of them require you to have completed the training for the job and have the certification for it.
Some trades have specific requirements. For example, migrants who are power engineers will need a license from the province or territory where they plan to live. Other trades (like carpenter, or automotive service technicians) do not require certification but if you have a Red Seal for it, you do not have to pass additional exams if you want to move to another Canadian province or territory later.
Read MoreFederal Skilled Trades Program Requirements & Checklist
Skilled traders are expected to meet a benchmark of CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 5 in Speaking and Listening, and CLB 4 in Reading and Writing sections of the approved language tests. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) requires you to have a minimum of two years’ full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time experience) in your chosen trade within the 5 years of applying for immigration. There is no minimum education requirement for the FTSP but education credentials can increase your score and give you a better chance of migrating to Canada.
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