Overview
FSTP is one of the three base programs managed through Express Entry. It is different from the Trade occupations category used for category-based invitation rounds.
A person must satisfy the FSTP program rules to enter the pool through FSTP. A person eligible for another base program may separately qualify for a Trade occupations category round. One does not replace the other.
Work period
2 years / 3,120 hours
Recency
Within the last 5 years
Trade requirement
Same eligible trade NOC
Job or certificate
At least one is required
Eligibility and core rules
- At least two years, or 3,120 hours, of paid full-time-equivalent experience in the same eligible trade during the five years before applying.
- The trade must fall within the NOC groups listed by IRCC: Major Groups 72 (excluding 726), 73, 82, 83, 92 or 93 (excluding 932), Minor Group 6320, or Unit Group 62200.
- The work must meet the NOC lead statement, most main duties and job requirements, and be gained where the person was qualified to practise the trade.
- A valid full-time job offer for at least one year, or a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal certificate of qualification in the trade.
- Minimum CLB/NCLC 5 for speaking and listening and 4 for reading and writing.
- Settlement funds unless the work-authorization and valid-job-offer exemption applies.
- Plan to live outside Québec and remain admissible to Canada.
Which skilled trades qualify?
The qualifying work must all be in the same five-digit NOC and that NOC must fall within one of the groups below. The occupation title is only a starting point; IRCC assesses the lead statement, most main duties and the NOC job requirements.
| NOC 2021 group | What the group covers |
|---|---|
| Major Group 72 — except Sub-Major Group 726 | Technical trades; transportation officers and controllers in 726 are excluded |
| Major Group 73 | General trades |
| Major Group 82 | Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production |
| Major Group 83 | Occupations in natural resources and related production |
| Major Group 92 | Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, operators and controllers |
| Major Group 93 — except Sub-Major Group 932 | Central control and process operators; aircraft assemblers and inspectors in 932 are excluded |
| Minor Group 6320 | Cooks, butchers and bakers |
| Unit Group 62200 | Chefs |
Typical sectors include construction, transportation, manufacturing and industry, natural resources and agriculture. Many trades require apprenticeship training, but eligibility is determined by the exact NOC and the evidence—not by the sector label alone.
Search by code, title or duties, then compare the official lead statement and main duties with the work actually performed.
Open Ghasedak’s NOC FinderWork experience and the 3,120-hour rule
You need at least two years of full-time-equivalent paid work—3,120 countable hours—in the same eligible trade during the five years before the application. Every part of the qualifying experience must meet the rules below.
One full-time job
Up to 30 hours a week for at least 24 months, reaching 3,120 hours.
Part-time work
Part-time jobs may be combined. For example, 15 hours a week for 48 months reaches 3,120 hours.
More than one job
Hours from multiple paid jobs may be combined if the work remains in the same qualifying NOC.
Maximum counted
IRCC does not count hours above 30 in a week, so overtime cannot shorten the two-year period.
Every qualifying period must pass these tests
- Paid wages or commission; volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count.
- The lead statement and most of the main duties of the selected NOC were performed.
- The NOC employment requirements for that skilled trade were met.
- The worker was qualified to practise the trade in the country where the work was performed.
- Work acquired while studying is excluded from the FSTP minimum.
Work in more than one country
Experience from more than one country can be relevant only if the person was qualified to practise independently in each place under that country’s rules. Being qualified in one country does not automatically validate work performed in another country with different licensing rules.
The required job-offer or certificate route
In addition to the work experience, you must have one of two alternatives: a valid Canadian job offer for at least one year, or a Canadian certificate of qualification in the skilled trade.
Route A — valid job offer
The offer may come from up to two employers and, together, must provide continuous, paid, full-time work of at least 30 hours a week for at least one year in an eligible FSTP occupation.
- It must be recent, written and describe pay, deductions, duties, hours and employment conditions.
- It must normally be supported by a new positive LMIA naming the worker and position, or fit an eligible LMIA-based or LMIA-exempt employer-specific work-permit situation.
- An open work permit by itself is not a job offer. In most open-permit situations, the employer needs a new LMIA for the offer to qualify.
- For a current LMIA-based skilled-trade worker, IRCC also examines the employer named on the permit, continuing work authorization and whether the offered job meets the applicable NOC relationship rule.
- Two employers can combine hours—for example, two qualifying 16-hour-per-week offers—but a single 25-hour-per-week offer is not full-time.
Route B — certificate of qualification
A Canadian provincial, territorial or federal trade authority must assess the training, experience and skills and confirm that the person meets the Canadian requirements to practise the trade, usually including a certification examination.
- A foreign licence, apprenticeship card or Red Seal-equivalent experience is not automatically a Canadian certificate of qualification.
- The authority may require an in-person assessment, Canadian experience, additional training or an employer before allowing the examination.
- Rules and designated trades differ by jurisdiction. If the intended jurisdiction does not issue a certificate for that trade, a valid job offer is required for FSTP eligibility.
- A Red Seal endorsement may support mobility in participating trades, but the certificate must still be issued by the competent Canadian authority.
Trade certification authorities
Federally regulated trade or unsure who regulates it?
Find the occupational regulator through CICICLanguage requirements and test minimums
The minimum is lower than FSWP, but all four abilities must meet their own threshold. Speaking and listening require CLB/NCLC 5; reading and writing require CLB/NCLC 4. Results must be from an IRCC-approved test and be less than two years old both when the profile is completed and when the permanent-residence application is submitted.
| Approved test | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CELPIP-General | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| IELTS General Training | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| PTE Core | 51 | 39 | 33 | 41 |
| TEF Canada | 226 | 181 | 121 | 181 |
| TCF Canada | 6 | 369 | 342 | 4 |
These are the minimum raw scores corresponding to CLB/NCLC 5 for speaking/listening and 4 for reading/writing on the current IRCC conversion tables. Use the live IRCC table before entering results—especially for TEF Canada, where IRCC instructs applicants to use the applicable equivalency column.
Education and CRS ranking
FSTP has no minimum education requirement and no separate 67-point eligibility grid. However, a Canadian credential or completed foreign credential with a valid immigration-purpose ECA may add CRS points and improve ranking in the Express Entry pool.
Canadian education
An eligible Canadian secondary or post-secondary credential can contribute CRS points.
Foreign education
A completed credential plus a valid immigration-purpose ECA is needed to claim education points.
Trade licensing
An ECA is not a trade licence and does not replace a Canadian certificate of qualification.
Invitation
Meeting FSTP creates pool eligibility; an invitation still depends on CRS and the type of draw.
Settlement funds
FSTP applicants normally need accessible settlement funds for the full family size. The exemption applies only when the applicant is both authorized to work in Canada and has a valid job offer. A spouse and dependent children count even when non-accompanying or already Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
| Family members | Minimum funds (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $15,263 |
| 2 | $19,001 |
| 3 | $23,360 |
| 4 | $28,362 |
| 5 | $32,168 |
| 6 | $36,280 |
| 7 | $40,392 |
| Each additional member | +$4,112 |
The live IRCC table reviewed on August 9, 2026 is marked ‘Updated July 7, 2025.’ IRCC updates the amounts periodically, so check the official table immediately before profile updates and submission.
Acceptable proof
- Official bank or financial-institution letters with contact information.
- Your name, account numbers, opening dates, current balances and six-month average balances.
- Outstanding debts such as loans and credit-card debts.
- Money legally available at application and visa issuance; borrowed funds and real-property equity do not qualify.
Admissibility and where you may settle
The principal applicant and accompanying family must be admissible to Canada. The applicant must genuinely intend to live outside Québec. Experience gained while living in Québec may count, but the intention to settle elsewhere must be credible and supported.
Medical, criminal and security checks
IRCC assesses admissibility separately from program eligibility.
Outside Québec
Québec selects its own skilled workers; FSTP requires an intention to settle outside the province.
Provincial nominees
A nominee must intend to settle in the nominating province or territory.
Family members
Spouse and dependent children must be declared and may require examination even if not accompanying.
How this works
- 01
Confirm the eligible trade NOC
Match the real duties and verify that all qualifying work is in the same eligible trade.
Search NOCs and compare duties - 02
Resolve the job-offer or certification route
Obtain a qualifying offer or complete assessment and certification through the proper Canadian trade authority.
- 03
Complete the language test and profile
Meet the four language minimums, prepare the evidence and enter accurate information.
- 04
Prove the program after invitation
Submit work, qualification, offer or certificate, funds and other personalized documents.
Documents and evidence
- Detailed employer letters showing the same trade NOC, exact dates, weekly hours, pay and duties, supported where appropriate by contracts, pay records, tax or social-insurance evidence
- Proof that the applicant was qualified to practise the trade in every country where the qualifying experience was gained
- For the offer route: the written offer, LMIA and work-permit/employer evidence needed for the exact job-offer situation
- For the certification route: the Canadian certificate of qualification and related issuing-authority records
- Valid approved language-test results that remain less than two years old at the required stages
- Bank letters and settlement-fund evidence, or a written explanation and proof of both authorization to work and a valid offer for the exemption
- Passport, civil-status records, police certificates, immigration medical examination and any other item in the personalized checklist
Important distinctions and cautions
- A foreign trade licence is not automatically a Canadian certificate of qualification.
- Work gained while studying does not count toward the FSTP minimum.
- Hours above 30 per week do not shorten the minimum two-year period for IRCC’s full-time-equivalent calculation.
- FSTP and the Express Entry Trade occupations category are separate concepts; applicants should test both correctly.
FSTP frequently asked questions
Is a job offer always required?
No. A Canadian certificate of qualification can satisfy the alternative requirement. Without that certificate, a valid qualifying job offer is required.
Is a foreign trade certificate enough?
No. It may help the Canadian authority assess training and experience, but it is not itself the Canadian certificate required by FSTP.
Can an open-work-permit holder use their current job as the offer?
Current employment and an open permit do not automatically create a valid Express Entry job offer. The employer will usually need a new positive LMIA unless another specific qualifying situation applies.
Can I combine different trade NOCs?
Not for the FSTP minimum. The qualifying work used for the two-year requirement must all be in the same NOC.
Does work completed while studying count?
No. IRCC excludes work experience gained while studying from the FSTP minimum.
Is education required?
No, but documented Canadian education or foreign education supported by an ECA may improve CRS.
Is FSTP the same as the Trade occupations category?
No. FSTP is a base Express Entry program. Trade occupations is a category used for some invitation rounds, and a candidate must still qualify for a base program.
Does meeting every FSTP rule guarantee an ITA?
No. It permits an eligible profile to enter or remain in the pool; invitations depend on draw type, CRS rank and current instructions.
Official government sources
Use the live IRCC pages below to confirm the rules before relying on them.
General information only, not legal advice. IRCC may change rules, occupation lists or invitation instructions. The live government source controls.