Canada invites Federal Skilled Trades candidates in the latest express entry draw

Canada hosted its second Express Entry draw in two days. A total of 250 Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) applicants received an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Successful FSTP applicants required a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 415 to receive an ITA.

Yesterday, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a raffle of all programs which resulted in 3,900 ITAs being issued to applicants with a CRS of at least 476. During these two days, Canada issued 4,150 ATIs.

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

7th FSTP draw since Express entry was introduced in 2015
Today, this is only the seventh FSTP-specific raffle in the history of Express Entry. The FSTP is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade. It was launched in 2013 to help fill labor shortages in many skilled trades in Canada.

Applicants must have at least two years of work experience in one of the following trades and professions:

• 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 targeted nature of the program, it represents the lowest number of ITAs issued under eligible Express Entry programs. Only 1,000 of the 85,300 ATIs issued in 2019 went to FSTP applicants.

One of the reasons the FSTP is so small is that applicants tend to have lower CRS scores than those who qualify for Express Entry under the Skilled Worker Program (federal) or the Skilled Worker category. the Canadian experience.

As such, IRCC organizes rare draws specific to the FSTP so that candidates for the selected trades can meet the needs of the Canadian labor market.

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

Reference is taken from CIC News