Home / Calculators / Do I meet the Federal Skilled Trades requirements?

Do I meet the Federal Skilled Trades requirements?

This page estimates against the official table or checklist named below. It is not a government tool and it does not decide an application.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

Related pathways: Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades

See every points-tested route: points-tested routes.

Other tools: What score do I need for an Australian skilled visa (subclass 189, 190 or 491)? · What score do I need for the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)? · Do I meet the UK Skilled Worker salary and job-offer rules? · What score do I need for Canada's Federal Skilled Worker program? · Do I meet the Canadian Experience Class requirements? · What would my Canada CRS ranking score be? · What would my Québec PSTQ ranking score be? · Do I meet the Québec Experience Program (PEQ) rules? · Do I meet Québec's investor, entrepreneur or self-employed selection rules?

Three Express Entry programs

Express Entry is an online system that we use to manage immigration applications for 3 programs: Canadian Experience Class — for skilled workers with eligible Canadian work experience; Federal Skilled Worker Program — for skilled workers with eligible foreign or Canadian work experience; Federal Skilled Trades Program — for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade.

Foreign or Canadian work — Federal Skilled Worker Program — for skilled workers with eligible foreign or Canadian work experience. FSW has a 67-point selection-factor test plus published minimums.
Canadian work experience — Canadian Experience Class — for skilled workers with eligible Canadian work experience. CEC is a minimum-requirements checklist, not a points test.
A skilled trade — you are on this tool. Federal Skilled Trades Program — for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade. FST is a minimum-requirements checklist, not a points test.

Keep your funds up to date in your profile. The system may find that you’re eligible for more than 1 program. You don’t always know ahead of time which program you’ll be invited under. If more than one program could apply, test each one. This guide does not pick for you.

Meeting a program’s published eligibility rules is how you become able to submit an Express Entry profile. The Comprehensive Ranking System then ranks everyone already in the pool. Eligibility and ranking are different questions. All three programs use the same CRS ranking tool.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

This answers can I enter the Express Entry pool under Federal Skilled Trades — one of three Express Entry programs. It is a minimum-requirements checklist, not a points calculator. Eligibility for a program gets you into the pool; CRS decides your rank.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program page and the Express Entry comparison page publish minimum requirements. They do not publish a selection-factor points table or a 67-point pass mark. This tool is a checklist, not a calculator.

Express Entry is an online system that IRCC uses to manage immigration applications for 3 programs, including the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Meeting this program’s minimum requirements is how you become eligible to submit a profile. The Comprehensive Ranking System is a separate ranking of people already in the pool. A valid job offer is an FST eligibility criterion; CRS ranking no longer awards job-offer points (removed 25 March 2025). Education is not required for FST; Canadian or foreign credentials can improve your rank in the pool if you want points for them.

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers. You can count work experience gained while living in Quebec, as long as you can prove you don’t plan to settle there. You’ll have to include proof and expect officers to check anything you provide. If you’re a Provincial Nominee, you must settle in the province or territory that nominated you.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

I plan to live outside Quebec

You must take approved language tests in English or French and meet the minimum score in all 4 abilities. Federal Skilled Trades: CLB 5 for speaking and listening; CLB 4 for reading and writing (NCLC 5 / NCLC 4 in French). These floors do not vary by TEER.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

Language — speaking and listening CLB/NCLC 5; reading and writing CLB/NCLC 4

Enter CLB/NCLC directly, or convert from an approved test

Speaking: CLB 5

Listening: CLB 5

Reading: CLB 4

Writing: CLB 4

Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you: complete your Express Entry profile, and submit your application for permanent residence. If you apply for permanent residence with language test results that have expired, we’ll refuse your application. Conversion reuses the existing IRCC language-test table. IRCC language-test results page (opened 2026-08-15).

Paid skilled-trade hours in the last 5 years: 3120

Your skilled work experience must all be in the same NOC and in 1 of the listed NOC groups; show that you performed the actions in the lead statement and most of the main duties; meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the NOC; be paid work (wages or commission — volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count); have been obtained in a country where you were qualified to practice; and be at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or 3,120 hours total) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply.

You can meet the 3,120 hour requirement full time at 1 job (up to 30 hours/week for 24 months), as an equal amount in part-time work (for example, 15 hours/week for 48 months — you can work as many part-time jobs as you need), or full time at more than 1 job (30 hours/week for 24 months at more than 1 job).

The same page’s later “Part-time work experience” paragraph says part-time hours can add up to 1,560 hours. That figure is one year, not the 2-year / 3,120-hour minimum stated in the requirement and in “How to count your work hours.” This tool encodes 3,120 hours / 2 years and does not treat 1,560 as the FST minimum.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

The hours I entered do not include any hours above 30 per week

We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.

All of this work is in the same listed-trade NOC (Major Groups 72 (excluding Sub-Major Group 726), 73, 82, 83, 92, or 93 (excluding Sub-Major Group 932); Minor Group 6320; Unit Group 62200)

Your skilled work experience must all be in the same NOC and be in 1 of these NOC groups: Major Groups 72 (excluding Sub-Major Group 726), 73, 82, 83, 92, or 93 (excluding Sub-Major Group 932); Minor Group 6320; Unit Group 62200. The comparison page names those groups as key groups of TEER 2 or TEER 3, including cooks, butchers and bakers (Minor Group 6320) and chefs (Unit Group 62200).

This work was paid (wages or commission)

I performed the NOC lead-statement actions and most of the main duties

Work in more than one country

Your work experience only counts if you were qualified to practise that trade where you got your work experience. If you were qualified in one country but worked in another country with different rules for practising your trade, you must have also met the requirements to practise there independently.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

I was qualified to practise independently in each country where I count this experience

Student work experience

Work experience gained while you were studying doesn't count towards minimum requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

The hours I am counting toward 3,120 include work gained while I was studying

Job offer or certificate of qualification

You must have either a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.

A valid Federal Skilled Trades job offer has to be made by up to 2 employers; for continuous, paid, full-time work (at least 30 hours a week); for at least 1 year; and for a job under the listed NOC 2021 TEER 2 and 3 trade categories. Having a valid job offer as part of eligibility is not changing; CRS ranking no longer gives points for job offers as of March 25, 2025.

A certificate of qualification proves you’re qualified to work in a certain skilled trade in Canada: you passed a certification exam and meet all the requirements to practise your trade in the province or territory that issued your certificate. It is issued by the provincial or territorial body that governs trades, or a federal authority.

If the province or territory where you plan to live and work doesn’t give certificates of qualification in your trade, you’ll need a valid job offer in your trade to be eligible for this program.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

The province or territory where I plan to live and work does not issue certificates of qualification in my trade

I have a valid full-time job offer. A valid Federal Skilled Trades job offer has to be made by up to 2 employers; for continuous, paid, full-time work (at least 30 hours a week); for at least 1 year; and for a job under the listed NOC 2021 TEER 2 and 3 trade categories. Having a valid job offer as part of eligibility is not changing; CRS ranking no longer gives points for job offers as of March 25, 2025.

I have a certificate of qualification issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority

Provincial and territorial trade authorities (from the FST page)

If your trade is not regulated by a province or territory, it may be federally regulated (for example, airplane mechanics). Find out who regulates your trade and how to get assessed through the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.

CICIC — find who regulates your trade

Proof of funds exemption

You don't need proof of funds if you are currently able to legally work in Canada, and have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada. The proof-of-funds page: you don’t need to show settlement funds if you’re authorized to work in Canada and you have a valid job offer, even if you apply under the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

I am currently able to legally work in Canada

I can show Proof of funds (From CAD 15,263). Minimum for 1 family member, table updated July 7, 2025. Rises with family size (2: CAD 19,001; 3: CAD 23,360; each person after 7: CAD 4,112). Required for the Federal Skilled Trades Program unless you are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. If you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool: a Canadian high-school or post-secondary credential, or a completed foreign credential plus an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes, can get ranking points. Those points are CRS, not an FST minimum.

You must be admissible to Canada. Some people aren’t allowed to come to Canada. There are different reasons we may not let you into Canada, such as security, criminal or medical reasons.

I am admissible to Canada (security, criminal and medical)

Federal Skilled Trades — checklist, not a score

Enter your details to see a result.

Verify on Official Government Site

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Where you can live in Canada
You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers. You can count work experience gained while living in Quebec, as long as you can prove you don’t plan to settle there. You’ll have to include proof and expect officers to check anything you provide. If you’re a Provincial Nominee, you must settle in the province or territory that nominated you.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Skilled trades work experience
At least 2 years of full-time work experience (or 3120 hours total) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Hours above 30 per week
We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Skilled trade sectors
Your skilled work experience must all be in the same NOC and be in 1 of these NOC groups: Major Groups 72 (excluding Sub-Major Group 726), 73, 82, 83, 92, or 93 (excluding Sub-Major Group 932); Minor Group 6320; Unit Group 62200. The comparison page names those groups as key groups of TEER 2 or TEER 3, including cooks, butchers and bakers (Minor Group 6320) and chefs (Unit Group 62200).
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Paid skilled-trade duties
Paid wages or commission; you performed the actions in the lead statement and most of the main duties; you meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the NOC.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Work in more than one country
Your work experience only counts if you were qualified to practise that trade where you got your work experience. If you were qualified in one country but worked in another country with different rules for practising your trade, you must have also met the requirements to practise there independently.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Student work experience
Work experience gained while you were studying doesn't count towards minimum requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Job offer or certificate of qualification
You must have either a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Language ability
CLB/NCLC 5 in speaking and listening; CLB/NCLC 4 in reading and writing.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Proof of funds
Minimum for 1 family member, table updated July 7, 2025. Rises with family size (2: CAD 19,001; 3: CAD 23,360; each person after 7: CAD 4,112). Required for the Federal Skilled Trades Program unless you are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16
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Admissibility
You must be admissible to Canada. Some people aren’t allowed to come to Canada. There are different reasons we may not let you into Canada, such as security, criminal or medical reasons.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · verified 2026-08-16

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