Federal Skilled Trades program for US Citizens

There’s no way to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker program directly. Candidates must first fill out an Express Entry Visa application. When you create your Express Entry record, you will be graded on some program-specific minimal requirements. These are the requirements:

• Skilled work experience: Have at least worked full-time or part-time for 12 months in the last ten years in a skilled job
• Language ability: Proficiency in English or French
• An Educational Credential Assessment to determine whether postsecondary education has been completed in line with Canadian standards

A skilled worker must meet these minimum requirements to be eligible to apply for Express Entry. However, simply meeting these requirements does not guarantee you’ll receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. The candidate with a stronger profile will always be chosen over that who simply meets the minimum requirements.

If the Candidate is able to score enough in the Express Entry pool, they may then be invited to apply for Canada PR. That step also has some scoring and requirements involved.

The following documents must be submitted with your Express Entry profile:

1. Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA): An FSW candidate must present a valid ECA certificate attesting to the value of overseas education by Canadian standards. In Canada, five institutions are permitted to issue ECA reports. For educational certificates earned from Canadian educational establishments, the report is not needed.
2. Language Proficiency: Test Results from an approved language exam taken within the past two years. The CELPIP and IELTS exam both accepted English tests. For French, you can take either the Test d’valuation de Francais (TEF) or the Test de connaissance du francais pour le Canada (TCF Canada)

Candidate identification documents will be required. These include:

• A valid passport
• If applicable, a provincial nomination
• An offer of employment in writing from your prospective employer (if you’ve already secured one)
• Verification of work experience
• An occupational qualification certificate from a Canadian province or territory (if you possess one)
• Proof that you have enough funds to support yourself while you are in Canada

An applicant who successfully receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence will proceed to the second stage. The individual will have two months to fill out and submit an electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR). This stage requires further documentation such as:

• Police certificates
• Medical exams
• Proof of funds
• Birth certificate
• Common-Law Union form or representative form
• Adoption/marriage/divorce/death certificates

To qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must meet certain minimum requirements when entering the Express Entry pool. Here’s the breakdown:

Work Experience

You must have completed at least 12 months of steady, regular, skilled work experience (or an equivalent amount in part-time) in one of the above three professional occupation areas within the last ten years. You must demonstrate that you fulfilled the duties outlined in the NOC outline of your role while employed and were paid for your services.

Language Proficiency

Pass an approved English or French language test with at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 in the following skills areas: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. The tests are only valid for two years from the date they are taken, so ensure your results are still valid when applying for a visa.

Education

You would need at least a Canadian high school diploma or its equivalent if you studied outside the country. You’ll need an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) from a reputable institution to demonstrate that your education is equivalent to a completed degree, diploma, or certificate from a Canadian university. Master’s degrees and other higher qualifications are highly regarded.

Financial Support

If you are bringing your spouse or children along, you must have adequate funds to support them. You need a specific amount of funds for settlement depending on how many members of your family you include in your application.

Residence in Canada

FSW program candidates must intend to live outside of the province of Quebec.

Age

Only those aged between 18 and 47 are invited to apply for the federal worker program. The maximum number of points your age can earn you is 12 points if you are between 18 and 35 years old, while those between 43 and 46 get the least points.

People selected to apply for the FSW program come from a wide range of fields. Under the National Occupation Classification (NOC) experience, workers in the following occupations can apply for the FSW program.

• Skill Type 0 Workers: these include Management jobs- wholesale trade and retail managers, managers in restaurants, food service, and accommodation
• Skill Type A: these are professionals with a university degree in Engineering, construction, legal, medical professions, etc.
• Skill Type B workers: chefs, office workers, plumbers, retail salespersons, and other professions requiring only apprentice training or a college diploma.

Express Entry profiles for Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) will remain active for a year following the date of submission if you receive the Invitation to Apply (ITA). At the same time, in the pool of candidates, you have 60 days to fill out and submit a complete application and supporting documents to the Government of Canada.

Generally, it takes six months from the date Canadian authorities receive an Express Entry application to the date a permanent residence visa is granted. Your processing time may also be affected by the following factors:

• The completeness and/or complexity of your application
• How easy it is for authorities to verify the information you put on your application
• Inclusion of a family member in your application

Once you are accepted, you will be able to travel to Canada to apply for your permanent residence card.