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The Federal Skilled Trades Program is one of three federal economic immigration programs managed through Express Entry, alongside the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Unlike FSWP, FSTP has no formal points grid and no education requirement. Instead, eligibility rests on trade specific work experience, meeting the job requirements set out in the National Occupational Classification, and either a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province or territory.
This guide covers current FSTP eligibility, eligible occupations, realistic CRS scores based on recent trades draws, fees under the current schedule, processing time, and a major upcoming change that could affect how you plan your application.
NOTE: To qualify for FSTP, you need at least two years of full-time skilled trade experience within the last five years, in an occupation under NOC major group 72, 73, or 82. You also need a language score of at least CLB 5 in speaking and listening and CLB 4 in reading and writing, plus either a valid job offer of at least one year from up to two Canadian employers, or a provincial or territorial certificate of qualification. There is no separate points grid and no formal education requirement.
Key features:
You will see the figure “199 points” quoted across many immigration websites as the CRS score needed for FSTP. This is accurate as a historical fact, but it is commonly presented in a way that misleads applicants about what to expect today.
Here is the full context. Since Express Entry launched in 2015, IRCC has occasionally run trades specific draws with CRS cutoffs well below the general pool. The lowest of these ever recorded was 199 points, in a 2017 draw. It remains the record low, but it was a one-time outcome from a particular draw at a particular time, not an ongoing threshold.
What is actually realistic today: the most recent trades category draw (Draw 408, April 2026) invited 1,500 candidates at a CRS cutoff of 477, nearly 280 points higher than the 2017 record. Trades candidates continue to benefit from meaningfully lower cutoffs than general or CEC rounds, which have typically required scores in the low 500s, but 199 should not be treated as a realistic target in 2026.
FSTP | FSWP | CEC | |
Eligible occupations | NOC 72, 73, 82 only | NOC TEER 0 to 3, broad | Any TEER 0 to 3 with Canadian experience |
Work experience needed | 2 years, last 5 years | 1 year, last 10 years | 1 year, last 3 years, Canadian only |
Foreign experience counts | Yes | Yes | No, Canadian only |
Job offer or certificate required | Yes, one or the other | No, optional | No |
Language requirement | CLB 5 speaking/listening, CLB 4 reading/writing | CLB 7, all four abilities | CLB 7 or CLB 5 depending on TEER |
Separate points grid | No | Yes, 67-point grid | No |
Education requirement | None | Up to 25 points on grid | None |
Read our dedicated Canada Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Canadian Experience Class guides for full details on the other two programs and the shared CRS system that ranks candidates across all three.
FSTP covers occupations classified under NOC TEER 2 and TEER 3, within three specific major groups:
NOC | Major Group Covers | Example Occupations |
72 | Industrial, electrical, and construction trades | Electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters |
73 | Maintenance and equipment operation trades | Heavy equipment operators, mechanics |
82 | Supervisors and technical roles in natural resources, agriculture, and related production | Construction supervisors, agricultural equipment technicians |
This is a narrower, trade specific list compared to FSWP’s much broader TEER 0 to 3 eligibility. If your occupation only appears on the STSOL or CSOL style broader lists used elsewhere in Canadian immigration, it may not fall under FSTP specifically, so confirm your NOC code and major group before applying.
The strongest current demand sits in electricians (residential and industrial), welders, plumbers, HVAC and refrigeration technicians, millwrights, and heavy equipment technicians, driven by infrastructure expansion, renewable energy projects, aging equipment replacement, and a wave of retiring tradespeople. These occupations map closely to FSTP’s eligible NOC groups and are also frequent targets of Express Entry’s trades category-based draws.
Red Seal is an interprovincial standard that lets certified tradespeople in specific designated trades work across most Canadian provinces and territories without needing to recertify in each one. It is not strictly required for FSTP eligibility. A provincial certificate of qualification without Red Seal endorsement, or a qualifying job offer, can satisfy FSTP’s requirements on its own. That said, Red Seal certification is widely recommended for tradespeople planning to work across multiple provinces, since it is the most portable and broadly respected trade credential in Canada.
Note: there is no formal education requirement and no separate points grid, unlike FSWP
Step 1: Confirm you have at least 2 years of relevant trade experience under an eligible NOC code, recognized by IRCC.
Step 2: Meet all FSTP eligibility requirements, including language testing and either a job offer or certificate of qualification.
Step 3: Create your Express Entry profile and submit it to the pool.
Step 4: Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA), issued through general, program specific, or trades category based draws.
Step 5: Submit your complete permanent residence application to IRCC with all required documents.
Step 6: IRCC reviews your application.
Step 7: Receive Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) status.
IRCC increased permanent residence application fees on 30 April 2026. The figures below reflect the current schedule.
Process | Cost (CAD) |
Main applicant, processing fee | 990 |
Spouse or common-law partner, processing fee | 990 |
Each dependent child, processing fee | 270 |
Right of Permanent Residence Fee, main applicant | 600 |
Right of Permanent Residence Fee, spouse or common-law partner | 600 |
Biometrics fee, single applicant | 85 |
Biometrics fee, two or more people on one application | 170 |
Dependent children are exempt from the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. All in, the current total for a principal applicant is approximately 1,590 CAD (990 processing fee plus 600 RPRF), before biometrics and any language testing, trade certification, or medical costs. Confirm exact current figures against the official IRCC fee schedule before advising a client, since these amounts are reviewed periodically.
Once invited and a complete application is submitted, FSTP follows the standard Express Entry federal processing timeline of around 6 months, the same as FSWP and CEC. Standalone FSTP specific draws are relatively rare. Most FSTP eligible candidates actually receive their invitation through general all program draws or the trades category based draws, rather than a dedicated FSTP only round, so tracking overall Express Entry draw activity, not just FSTP specific draws, gives a more accurate picture of your realistic timeline.
IRCC’s April 2026 Forward Regulatory Plan proposes retiring FSTP, FSWP, and CEC as separate programs and replacing them with a single unified stream called the Federal High-Skilled Class. Under the early proposal, eligibility across all three merged programs would simplify to 1 year of skilled work experience (Canadian or foreign) or a validated job offer, plus a minimum language score of CLB 6.
For FSTP candidates specifically, this would actually represent a higher language bar than the current CLB 5/4 requirement, if implemented as proposed. Public consultation on this proposal ran through 24 May 2026, and as of now nothing has been finalized. No regulations have been published in the Canada Gazette, and based on the typical federal regulatory cycle, implementation is not expected before 2027 at the earliest.
If you currently qualify under FSTP’s existing rules, there is no reason to delay your application based on this unconfirmed proposal. We recommend planning around the rules as they stand today, and monitoring official updates as the consultation process moves forward.
If you are willing to know more about the Canada FSTP Application process, you can certainly contact us by writing us an email at mail@pioverseas.com and one of our experts will help you out in every possible way. Call us at +91-9310-10-6988 or you can also receive a call back from our expert once you fill out the inquiry form. You can also talk to our experts directly through our live chat feature and clear your doubts instantaneously.
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The Federal Skilled Trades Program is one of three federal economic programs managed through Express Entry, designed specifically for tradespeople, unlike the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), which covers broader professional and technical occupations. FSTP has no points grid and no formal education requirement; instead, eligibility rests on trade-specific work experience, meeting NOC job requirements for the trade, and either a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province or territory.
You’re eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program if you have 2 years of full-time work experience in an eligible trade (NOC major groups 72, 73, or 82) within the last 5 years, meet the job requirements for that trade as set out in the NOC, hold either a valid job offer (1+ year, from up to 2 Canadian employers) or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province/territory, and achieve a minimum language score of CLB 5 speaking/listening and CLB 4 reading/writing. There’s no formal education requirement and no separate points grid, unlike the Federal Skilled Worker Program’s 67-point system.
Requirement | Standard |
Work experience | 2 years, last 5 years, in eligible trade |
Eligible NOC groups | 72 (industrial/electrical/construction), 73 (maintenance/equipment operation), 82 (supervisors/technical, resources & agriculture) |
Job offer OR certificate | One of the two required |
Language | CLB 5 speaking/listening, CLB 4 reading/writing |
Education | None required |
Points grid | None — unlike FSWP’s 67-point system |
FSTP covers occupations classified under NOC TEER 2 and TEER 3, within three specific major groups: Major Group 72 (industrial, electrical, and construction trades — electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters), Major Group 73 (maintenance and equipment operation trades — heavy equipment operators, mechanics), and Major Group 82 (supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture, and related production). This is a narrower, trade-specific list compared to FSWP’s much broader TEER 0–3 eligibility.
NOC Major Group | Covers | Example Occupations |
72 | Industrial, electrical, construction trades | Electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters |
73 | Maintenance and equipment operation trades | Heavy equipment operators, mechanics |
82 | Supervisors/technical roles, natural resources & agriculture | Construction supervisors, agricultural equipment technicians |
Industrial electrician consistently ranks among the highest-paying skilled trades in Canada in 2026, with wages commonly reported between $42–$48 per hour ($85,000–$100,000+ per year), particularly in Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Close behind are millwrights, steamfitters/pipefitters, elevator mechanics, and heavy equipment technicians, all Red Seal trades tied to industrial maintenance, energy, and infrastructure sectors where labour shortages are pushing wages well above the national average.
Trade | Typical Pay Range (CAD) |
Industrial electrician | $42–$48/hr (~$85,000–$100,000+/yr) |
Millwright / industrial mechanic | $35–$50/hr, often $100,000+/yr with overtime |
Steamfitter / pipefitter | $26–$48/hr |
Elevator mechanic | Among the highest-paid due to specialized licensing |
Plumber (Red Seal, gasfitter-certified) | $32–$50/hr, experienced Red Seal plumbers often exceed $110,000/yr |
Welder (specialized: underwater, pressure) | $33–$43/hr base, significantly higher for specialized certifications |
This depends on what “easiest” means to you. For fastest entry into paid work, roles like construction labourer, HVAC helper, electrical helper, and flagger require minimal certification and can have you earning within days to a few months, often while training toward a full apprenticeship. For easiest full trade to learn and certify in, electrician is frequently cited by tradespeople themselves as more approachable than physically demanding trades like carpentry or flooring, despite requiring a multi-year apprenticeship like any Red Seal trade.
“Easiest” Meaning | Best-Fit Trades |
Fastest paid entry (days–months) | Flagger, construction labourer, HVAC helper, electrical helper |
Shorter full certification path | HVAC technician (6–12 month certificate options), painter |
Widely reported as more approachable to learn | Electrician (per multiple contractor surveys) |
Important for immigration purposes: none of these “easy entry” helper roles satisfy FSTP’s requirement on their own. FSTP needs 2 years of qualifying experience in an eligible NOC 72/73/82 occupation with a certificate or job offer, regardless of how quickly you can start earning in an entry-level role. A fast start can be a stepping stone toward a qualifying trade, but it isn’t a shortcut around FSTP’s core requirements.
In 2026, the strongest-demand trade skills are electricians (both residential and industrial), welders, plumbers, HVAC/refrigeration technicians, millwrights, and heavy equipment technicians, all driven by infrastructure expansion, renewable energy projects, aging equipment replacement, and a wave of retiring tradespeople. These map closely to FSTP’s eligible NOC groups and are also frequent targets of Express Entry’s trades category-based draws.
In-Demand Trade | Driving Factor |
Electricians | Renewable energy, urban expansion, industrial automation |
Welders | Infrastructure, manufacturing reshoring, oil & gas |
Plumbers | Residential/commercial construction, gasfitting demand |
HVAC/refrigeration technicians | Climate control regulation, energy efficiency mandates |
Millwrights | Industrial maintenance, manufacturing |
Heavy equipment technicians | Construction, mining, agriculture |
Following 2026 fee updates, the government fee is approximately $1,525 CAD for the principal applicant (including the Right of Permanent Residence Fee), $1,525 CAD for an accompanying spouse, and $260 CAD per dependent child. Additional costs to budget for include language testing, a provincial trade certification exam if pursuing that route instead of a job offer, and medical/police clearance requirements common to all Express Entry programs.
For PR purposes specifically, the strongest choices are trades that are both high-demand and clearly FSTP-eligible, electrician, welder, HVAC technician, plumber, and millwright courses lead directly to NOC codes within the FSTP-eligible major groups (72/73), and all have appeared in recent Express Entry trades category-based draws with meaningfully lower CRS cutoffs than general rounds. A course that leads to Red Seal certification is generally the strongest choice, since it’s the most portable, broadly recognized credential and improves your standing for both employer job offers and provincial certificate routes.
How to Choose a Trade Course With PR in Mind
Red Seal is an interprovincial standard that lets certified tradespeople in specific designated trades work across most Canadian provinces and territories without needing to re-certify in each one. It’s not strictly required for FSTP eligibility; a provincial certificate of qualification (without Red Seal endorsement) or a qualifying job offer can satisfy FSTP’s requirements on their own. However, Red Seal certification is widely recommended for tradespeople planning to work across multiple provinces or seeking maximum employer recognition of their credentials, since it’s the most portable and broadly respected trade credential in Canada.
You need one of the two, not both: either a valid full-time job offer in your trade lasting at least 1 year, from no more than two Canadian employers, OR a certificate of qualification in your trade, issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority. Many trades candidates without a Canadian job offer pursue the certificate route by having their foreign qualifications and experience assessed against provincial trade standards, then completing a certification exam.
FSTP has a notably lower language bar than FSWP: a minimum of CLB 5 for speaking and listening, and just CLB 4 for reading and writing, compared to FSWP’s flat CLB 7 requirement across all four abilities. This reflects the program’s recognition that trades occupations, while highly skilled, don’t always require the same formal-language demands as office-based professional roles. Accepted tests are the same as other Express Entry programs: IELTS or CELPIP for English, TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French.
You need at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or the part-time equivalent) in an eligible trades occupation, completed within the last 5 years, longer than FSWP’s 1-year requirement, reflecting the more hands-on, apprenticeship-based nature of trades work. Your experience must demonstrate you performed the actual duties listed in the NOC for your specific trade, and it’s strongly advisable that this experience come from a jurisdiction where you were legally qualified to practice the trade. Student work experience and volunteer roles do not count.
No. Unlike FSWP, which awards up to 25 points for education on its 67-point grid, FSTP has no formal education requirement at all. What matters instead is demonstrated trade competency, through work experience, an employer’s job offer, or a provincial certificate of qualification. This makes FSTP a genuinely accessible route for skilled tradespeople whose expertise was built through apprenticeship and on-the-job training rather than formal schooling.
All three are Express Entry programs sharing the same CRS ranking system, but each has different eligibility gates. FSTP targets trades specifically (NOC 72/73/82), needs 2 years’ experience, a job offer or certificate, and CLB 5/4, with no education requirement or points grid. FSWP covers broader TEER 0–3 occupations, needs 1 year’s foreign experience, CLB 7, and passing a separate 67-point grid. CEC requires 1 year of Canadian work experience specifically, with language requirements varying by TEER level (CLB 7 for TEER 0/1, CLB 5 for TEER 2/3), and no separate points grid.
| FSTP | FSWP | CEC |
Eligible occupations | NOC 72, 73, 82 only | NOC TEER 0–3, broad | Any TEER 0–3 with Canadian experience |
Work experience needed | 2 years, last 5 years | 1 year, last 10 years | 1 year, last 3 years (Canadian) |
Foreign experience counts | Yes | Yes | No — Canadian only |
Job offer/certificate required | Yes (one or the other) | No (optional, adds points) | No |
Language requirement | CLB 5/4 | CLB 7 (all abilities) | CLB 7 or 5 depending on TEER |
Separate points grid | No | Yes (67-point grid) | No |
Education requirement | None | Up to 25 points on grid | None |
Trades candidates benefit from IRCC’s trades category-based draws, which run at meaningfully lower cutoffs than general rounds. The first 2026 trades-specific draw (Draw #408, April 2, 2026) invited 1,500 candidates at a CRS cutoff of 477, well below the low-500s typically required in general/CEC draws. Trades candidates who don’t get invited through a category draw can still receive an invitation through general all-program rounds, but at the higher general cutoff, so a strong trades-category profile is usually the faster route.
Once invited and a complete application is submitted, FSTP follows the standard Express Entry federal processing timeline of around 6 months, the same as FSWP and CEC. Standalone FSTP-specific draws are rare; most FSTP-eligible candidates actually receive their invitation through general all-program draws or the trades category-based draws, rather than a dedicated FSTP-only round, so tracking overall draw activity (not just “FSTP draws” specifically) gives a more accurate picture of your realistic timeline.
Contact the regulatory body for your specific trade in the province or territory where you intend to work, submit your training, qualifications, and work experience for assessment, and, if deemed eligible, sit the certification exam to earn your certificate of qualification. This process runs independently of your Express Entry or FSTP application and can take weeks to several months depending on the trade, province, and how directly your foreign credentials map to Canadian standards, so it’s worth starting well before you plan to submit an Express Entry profile.
Generally yes, unless you already have a valid job offer with authorization to work in Canada, the same exemption structure used across FSWP. If required, settlement funds scale by family size, following the same federal Express Entry table used for FSWP, starting at roughly $15,263 CAD for a single applicant.
Like FSWP and CEC, FSTP is included in IRCC’s April 2026 Forward Regulatory Plan proposing to retire all three individual programs and replace them with a single unified “Federal High-Skilled Class.” Under the early proposal, eligibility across all merged programs would simplify to 1 year of skilled work experience or a validated job offer, plus a minimum CLB 6, which would actually represent a higher language bar than FSTP’s current CLB 5/4 if implemented as currently proposed. Consultations ran through May 2026 with nothing finalized; trades candidates who currently qualify under FSTP’s existing rules shouldn’t delay applying based on this unconfirmed proposal.
Yes. Foreign work experience counts fully toward FSTP’s 2-year requirement, unlike the Canadian Experience Class, which only counts Canadian work experience. Most FSTP applicants qualify based entirely on trade experience gained outside Canada.
No. Unlike FSWP, which requires an ECA if your education was completed outside Canada, FSTP has no formal education requirement at all, so no ECA is needed. What matters is your trade experience and either a job offer or a certificate of qualification.
This depends on how your self-employment is documented. IRCC generally requires evidence that your work experience meets the duties described in the NOC for your trade, along with supporting documentation such as contracts, invoices, or client references. Self-employment experience is assessed more closely than employer sourced experience, so strong documentation matters.
Yes, provided they meet FSTP’s work experience requirement afterward. Completing a trade program in Canada does not itself satisfy the 2-year work experience requirement. Graduates typically need to gain qualifying work experience, often through a post-graduation work permit, before becoming FSTP eligible.
You can retake an approved language test as many times as needed, and only your most recent valid results count toward your Express Entry profile. There is no limit on the number of attempts, though each test has its own cost and you should allow time for retesting before submitting your profile.
It depends on the province and your specific circumstances. FSTP through Express Entry generally follows a roughly 6-month processing timeline once invited, while provincial nominee trades streams vary significantly by province and can involve additional nomination processing time. Comparing your specific occupation against both current federal draws and your target province’s trades stream is the most reliable way to judge speed.
Yes. You can hold an active Express Entry profile while also applying to a provincial trades stream. If you receive a provincial nomination, it adds 600 points to your CRS score, which can significantly improve your Express Entry ranking on top of your FSTP eligibility.
Common issues include work experience that does not clearly match the duties listed in the NOC for the claimed occupation, incomplete or inconsistent reference letters, language test results that do not meet the CLB 5/4 minimum, and documentation gaps around the job offer or certificate of qualification. Careful, consistent documentation is the single biggest factor in avoiding refusal.
Generally after. Most FSTP applicants complete their medical exam as part of the full application submitted after receiving an Invitation to Apply, though in some cases IRCC may request it earlier. Using an approved panel physician is required either way.
Your COPR document confirms your approval for permanent residence. You then need to activate your status, typically by landing in Canada before your COPR expires, after which you receive your permanent resident card and gain full PR rights, including healthcare access and the ability to work for any employer.
Yes, as long as the total meets the 2-year minimum within the last 5 years and the experience is in the same eligible trade occupation. Experience does not need to come from a single employer or country, but each period needs to be properly documented and verifiable.
Not necessarily. A valid job offer for FSTP eligibility does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment in the way some work permit categories do. The job offer simply needs to meet FSTP’s specific requirements: full time, at least 1 year in duration, and from no more than 2 Canadian employers.
Yes, provided the apprenticeship involved genuine, paid trade work matching the duties described in the relevant NOC, and you can document the hours and duties performed. A foreign apprenticeship on its own, without documented work matching NOC duties, may not fully satisfy the requirement, so supporting evidence matters.
No. That score was a one-time outcome from a specific 2017 trades-only draw and remains the record low rather than a typical result. The most recent 2026 trades category draw required a CRS score of 477, which is a far more realistic benchmark to plan around today.
If your occupation falls outside NOC major groups 72, 73, and 82, you may still qualify under FSWP if your occupation is on the broader TEER 0 to 3 list, or under a relevant provincial nominee program that targets your specific trade or profession. A full eligibility check against all three federal Express Entry programs and relevant provincial streams is the most reliable way to find your best pathway.