The FSWP is managed through the Express Entry application management system. Most successful Express Entry candidates immigrate to Canada through the FSWP. In addition, pursuing immigration through the FSWP is beneficial since you can gain permanent residence within six months, compared with longer processing times for Canada's other skilled worker programs.

Eligibility Criteria

If you have not lived in Canada before and are not a skilled trades professional, the FSWP will be your best Express Entry option. First, you need to see if you are eligible under the FSWP's criteria.

Once you are eligible, you can enter the Express Entry pool. Here factors such as your age, education, language skills, and work experience are considered to calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Usually every two weeks, the Canadian government holds Express Entry draws inviting the candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence.

After submitting your completed application, you can expect to receive your permanent residence status within six months and then move to Canada.

The FSTP is one of three federal economic programs managed by the Government of Canada's Express Entry system. Applying through the FSTP is one of many ways you can pursue immigration to Canada as a skilled trades professional. FSTP candidates may have lower CRS scores than other candidates in the Express Entry pool in part because they are not required to prove their level of education. IRCC, occasionally holds program-specific Express Entry draws inviting only FSTP candidates.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for the FSTP, you must:

• have valid job offers of continuous, paid, full-time employment (at least 30 hours a week) from up to two employers in Canada for at least one year OR a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial body;
• provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization, demonstrating that the applicant meets the minimum threshold set by IRCC — Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing;
• have obtained 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) in the skilled trade in the five years before applying; and
• be able to demonstrate the skills and experience and that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation.

If you are eligible for the FSTP, you may also be eligible for category-based selection in Express Entry draws Meeting the eligibility criteria of category-based draws provides you with additional opportunities to be invited for Canadian permanent residence.

The CEC is a prominent option for temporary foreign workers and international graduates who go on to gain Canadian work experience.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the CEC, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have obtained at least one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience in Canada within 36 months of the application date; and
• Meet or surpass a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 ("initial intermediate") for NOC TEER category 2 or 3 jobs or CLB 7 ("adequate intermediate proficiency"), for NOC TEER category 0 or 1 jobs.
• Plan to live and work outside of the province of Quebec.

One year (or 12 months) of work experience is defined as at least 1,560 hours of skilled work in Canada. The 1,560 hours can be obtained through full-time and/or part-time work.

Applicants can remain in Canada throughout the application process. However, the Canadian Experience Class is also open to individuals who are no longer in Canada, provided that they submit their application within three years of leaving their job in Canada.

The Canadian Experience Class requirements are based on a pass or fail model. If the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is eligible to enter the Express Entry pool.

Note: Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (for example, on a co-op work term) does not count under the CEC.

If you are eligible for the CEC, you may also be eligible for category based selection. Meeting the eligibility criteria of category-based draws provides you with additional opportunities to be invited for Canadian permanent residence.