Federal Skilled Trade Program

Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is an immigration program for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

This program is managed by the Express Entry system, it uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank interested candidates against one another. The lowest CRS score which has received an ITA (Invitation to Apply) in 2019, was 332.

The latest draw which picked Federal skilled trade applicants was held in June 2020. They selected candidates with CRS scores in the range of 400 to 436.

To be eligible, you must

• meet the required language levels.  Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for speaking and listening, and Canadian Language Benchmark 4 for reading and writing. 
• have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply
• meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification
• have a
  • valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or
  • certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority
• There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, you can get points for a completed educational credential.

To obtain a certificate of qualification in your skill trade your work experience and educational certificates must be assessed by the respective provincial authorities.

Skilled trades who have professions in any of below groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) could apply under this program for permanent residency of Canada:

• 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
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
• Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers

For more information about the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and to assess wether you are eligible or not, please contact us at 905-597-1740 or send us your resume to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.