The Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) is similar to the FSWC except that it targets people in specific occupations, including:
- Industrial, electrical and construction trades
- Maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Supervisors and technical jobs in agriculture, natural resources and related production
- Supervisors and central utilities control operators for processing, manufacturing and utilities
- Chefs and cooks
- Butchers and bakers
If you currently work in one of those categories, to be eligible for the FSTC you must also:
- Pass a language test
- Have completed two years of full-time work experience or the equivalent in part-time hours in the trade within the past five years
- Have the ability to show that your skills and experience are commensurate with the main responsibilities of the job
- Have a full-time job offer for a 1-year contract from a Canadian employer in that trade or earn a certificate of qualificationin that trade from an appropriate Canadian authority.
In other words, you can bypass the need for a Canadian job offer if you have a certificate of qualification. If you go that route, you must also demonstrate that you have enough settlement funds.
The price goes up if you have a family and must show proof that they have the funds in the bank before they can apply.
Sometimes, a territory or province doesn’t offer certificates of qualification in a certain field. In that case, you must have a qualifying employment offer in your skilled trade from a Canadian company.
To grant you a valid job offer, most Canadian employers also have to submit a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or confirmation letter. This proves that the employer has looked for a suitable Canadian candidate without any luck before looking abroad to fill the position. These job offers are exempt from the LMIA.