Our Ottawa immigration lawyers at Gerami Law PC have experience assisting clients on their Federal Skilled Trades (FST) permanent residency application. Our Team of Canadian immigration lawyers will ensure that you are positioned strongly and all of your documents are carefully assembled to demonstrate that you meet the necessary criteria.
The Canadian federal government selects residents based on their potential to settle in Canada and contribute to the economy. Immigrants are assessed based on their language skills, work experience, trade qualifications, and the existence of a qualifying job offer.
Gerami Law PC can assist you with:
- Determining your eligibility
- Completing the online applications
- Ensuring that your application is complete and up to date
- Advising you on factors that could help improve your scores
- Assisting you with the full list of documents you need to gather for the Permanent Residency application if you are selected
Application Process
Step 1: Determine your eligibility
Step 2: Create an Express Entry Profile
Step 3: You will receive points score on the information you provided when you created your online profile based on the Comprehensive Ranking System
Step 4: The government will regularly invite the top candidates to apply for permanent residence
Step 5: If you were invited to apply for permanent residence in the Federal Skilled Trades class, you will have 90 days to submit all the necessary documents for a Permanent Residence Application
Step 6: If you were not selected within 12 months or if your language test results expire, your profile will be deactivated. Applicants still interested in applying are encouraged to work on improving their score, self-promoting to employers, and to re-apply.
Who Is Eligible?
To be eligible you must be able to demonstrate an ability to prosper in Canada. You must:
- plan to live outside of the province of Quebec;
- have at least two years of paid full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) work experience in a skilled trade after having become qualified to independently practice that occupation, which experience was accrued within the last five years;
- meet the required English- or French-language levels needed for your job for each language ability (reading, speaking, writing, and listening);
- prove that you met all the relevant employment requirements of the skilled trade occupation;
- have a certificate of qualification to practice your trade in a province of Canada or else have a qualifying job or job offer that has been approved by the government; and
- have sufficient funds to support your family in Canada for six months while looking for a job, unless you have a qualifying job or job offer.
Note: The Province of Quebec has its own immigration programs. Individuals who intend to live in Quebec should seek advice from a lawyer qualified to practice law in Quebec.
What Is A Skilled Trade?
A skilled trade is any of the following jobs listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix:
(a) Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades;
(b) Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades;
(c) Major Group 82, supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production;
(d) Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators;
(e) Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks; and
(f) Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers.
To find out which group your job falls under, consult with a lawyer of Gerami Law PC or else see the list of jobs and their NOC groups.
What Is Full Time Work?
Full time work means at least 30 hours of paid work per week, or an equal amount in part-time hours.
Language Requirement
To demonstrate that you meet the minimum language requirements for your job, you must include the results of a language test (from an agency designated by IRCC).
Your result on this test must be no more than two years old on the day you apply.
Proof Of Funds
Applicants must demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family once they arrive in Canada, unless they have a qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer or are currently authorized to legally work in Canada under a qualifying job offer.
Education
In order to have your education considered for the purpose of your Express Entry profile, you need either a Canadian secondary or post-secondary degree, certificate, or diploma, or you need to have your educational credentials assessed by an agency approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Invitation To Apply
To apply for permanent residence in the Federal Skilled Trades class, you need to do more than just meet the minimum requirements. You must also receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence under this class, which you can get by participating in the Express Entry program.
Inadmissible To Canada
An applicant may be prevented from becoming a permanent resident of Canada if he or she is inadmissible. People can be found inadmissible to Canada for many reasons, including the following:
- There are reasonable grounds to believe that they did something or are associated with a group that did something that is a threat to Canadian security (e.g. espionage, terrorism, etc.);
- There are reasonable grounds to believe that they or an organization with which they were associated committed acts that violated human or international rights.
- There are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been convicted of crimes or that they belonged to a gang, or if they probably committed crimes for which they have not been convicted;
- They probably have health conditions that would endanger public health or public safety, or that would impose an excessive demand on Canada’s socially funded healthcare system;
- They are probably unable or unwilling to financially support themselves in Canada;
- They probably did not tell the truth or the whole truth to the immigration authorities about a matter that could have affected their immigration process, regardless of whether the falsehood or omission was deliberate or accidental;
- They broke the immigration laws of Canada on a previous occasion; or
- They have a partner or dependent child who is probably inadmissible for any of the above reasons
Gerami Law PC has experience dealing with cases that involve inadmissibility allegations and can advise you on your options for coming to Canada if you have any concerns relating to inadmissibility, or if you are ever referred to an admissibility hearing.
Is Your Work Permit About To Expire?
If you are currently on a Canadian work permit that is about to expire, you may be eligible for a bridging open work permit if you have applied for permanent residence under an economic class. This permit allows qualified applicants to continue working while their permanent residence application is under review. Gerami Law PC can help you determine if you qualify for this permit and can help you file the application.
Get Started Today
To discuss the Federal Skilled Trades class and explore your options, Contact Us today and schedule a Consultation with one of our lawyers.