Express Entry #159 : Canada holds rare federal skilled trades draw

Canada has held its second Express Entry draw in two days.

A total of 250 Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

Successful FSTP candidates needed a Comprehensive Classification System (CRS) score of at least 415 to receive an ITA.

Yesterday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a draw for all programs in which 3,900 ITAs were issued to candidates with a CRS of at least 476.

During this two-day period, Canada has issued 4,150 ITAs.

This year is turning out to be a record year for Express Entry despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Canada has already issued 61,850 ITAs in 2020, which is the highest number of invitations issued on this day compared to every two years since the launch of Express Entry in 2015.

Just the 7th FSTP draw since 2015
Today marks just the seventh FSTP-specific draw in Express Entry’s history.

The FSTP is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade.

It launched in 2013 to help address worker shortages across many skilled trades occupations across Canada.

Candidates need to have at least two years of work experience in one of the following trades and occupations:

• industrial, electrical and construction;
• maintenance, equipment operation;
• technical and supervisor jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and related production;
• processing, manufacturing, utilities, central control operations;
  chefs, cooks;
• butchers or bakers.

Due to the program’s targeted nature, it accounts for the fewest number of ITAs issued under eligible Express Entry programs. In fact, just 1,000 out of the 85,300 ITAs issued in 2019 went to FSTP candidates.

One reason why the FSTP is so small is that candidates tend to have lower CRS scores than candidates who are eligible for Express Entry through the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Canadian Experience Class.

As such, IRCC holds rare FSTP-specific draws so that successful trades candidates can support Canada’s labour market needs.

Today was the first FSTP-specific draw of 2020 and the first one since October 16, 2019.