Federal Skilled Trades Program Fee & Cost

There is no fee to create an Express Entry online profile, but if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), then certain governmental fees will need to be paid. The processing fee to apply for the federal trade worker program is $850 CAD for the main applicant and $850 CAD for a spouse/partner. The right of permanent residence fee is $515 CAD for the main applicant and $515 CAD for a spouse/partner. The fee for a dependent child is $230 CAD per child. The biometric fee (for a digital photo and fingerprints) is $85 CAD for one person or $170 CAD for a family of two or more people. After becoming a Canadian permanent resident, a small $50 CAD fee must be paid for each new immigrant to receive a plastic Permanent Resident Card to carry as official identification while living in Canada.

In general, it can take about 12-18 months from start to finish, depending on how long it takes the applicant to do what is required; how long the applicant remains in the Express Entry pool of candidates before receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA); how long it takes the Canadian immigration officials to process the application; and other variables. A decision is usually made in six months or less after a complete application for Canadian permanent residency through the FSTP has been filed and the government fees have been paid using the Express Entry system.

The processing fee to apply for an Open Work Permit, to work in Canada for any eligible employer on a temporary basis, is $100 CAD.

The minimum score required for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (which is a points-based Canadian immigration program that is different from the FSTP) is 69 out of 100 points received for six selection factors. It should be noted that the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) does not use a points system. There is also a score that is calculated using the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in which 1200 points are possible for various factors. The cut-off (minimum) score to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) can fluctuate over time, however, it is generally around 489-500 points for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and about 388-400 points for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).  

The Express Entry online profile can be created for free, however, there are governmental fees and non-governmental expenses that will need to be paid at various points of the Express Entry procedure. After the Invitation to Apply (ITA) is issued, certain governmental fees will need to be paid, such as the processing fee to apply for the federal trade worker program, the right of permanent residence fee, the dependent child fee (if relevant), and the biometric fee. After becoming a Canadian permanent resident, a small fee must be paid to receive the plastic Permanent Resident Card. Non-governmental expenses could include the cost of the English or French language evaluation exam, the Education Credential Assessment (ECA) fee, the cost of having required documents translated into English or French (if relevant), expenses related to obtaining a Qualification Certificate (for the FSTP), the cost of moving to Canada, living expenses after arriving in Canada, etc. 

The amount of money you should bring to pay for expenses while living in Canada will depend on the size of your family, where you will live in Canada, whether or not you already have arranged employment in Canada, your lifestyle preferences and other factors. The minimum amounts required for Proof of Funds (to support yourself and family) when immigrating to Canada through Express Entry are: $13,757 CAD for one person; $17,127 CAD for two people; $21,055 CAD for three people; $25,564 CAD for four people; $28,994 CAD for five people; $32,700 CAD for six people; and $36,407 CAD for seven people in a family.