Canada
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST): total cost to complete
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
A source-linked budget for a single Federal Skilled Trades applicant after invitation: IRCC permanent-residence fees, biometrics, language test, settlement funds, trade certificate or job-offer gate, medical exam, police certificates, and optional CRS-boosting education assessment.
What does the Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST) actually cost?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are CA$2,075-CA$4,005. Refundable proof-of-funds requirements are tracked separately at CA$15,263, because that money is shown or blocked rather than normally lost.
Verified against IRCC - submit an Express Entry profile on 1 July 2026.
What it actually costs
A source-linked budget for a single Federal Skilled Trades applicant after invitation: IRCC permanent-residence fees, biometrics, language test, settlement funds, trade certificate or job-offer gate, medical exam, police certificates, and optional CRS-boosting education assessment.
Money you don't get back
CA$2,075-CA$4,005
Mandatory fees, services and one month of insurance.
Proof of funds (returned to you)
CA$15,263
Proof of funds, not a fee. Federal Skilled Trades applicants need it unless they are currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.
| Cost line | Amount | Type | When / who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry profile submission | CA$0 | Gov fee | Creating an Express Entry profile is the pool-entry step. IRCC charges fees at the permanent-residence application stage after invitation, not when the profile is submitted. IRCC - submit an Express Entry profile |
| Permanent residence processing fee (principal applicant) | CA$990 | Gov fee | Economic immigration processing fee for the principal applicant, including Federal Skilled Trades. IRCC increased this fee on 30 April 2026. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee | CA$600 | Gov fee | Successful applicants pay the RPRF before becoming permanent residents. IRCC refunds this fee if the application is withdrawn or refused. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees |
| Biometrics | CA$85 | Gov fee | Single-applicant biometrics fee. Family biometrics are capped at CAD 170 when eligible family members apply at the same time. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees |
| Settlement funds for one person | CA$15,263 | Proof of funds | Proof of funds, not a fee. Federal Skilled Trades applicants need it unless they are currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. IRCC - Express Entry proof of funds |
| Language test for first official language· indicative | CA$250-CA$430 | Service | FST requires approved English or French test results meeting at least CLB/NCLC 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB/NCLC 4 for reading and writing. Provider and country pricing vary. IRCC - Federal Skilled Trades Program |
| Trade certificate assessment or qualifying job-offer gate· indicative | CA$0-CA$1,000 | Service | FST requires either a valid full-time Canadian job offer for at least 1 year or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority. Provincial trade assessment, exam, travel or employer-supervision costs vary; the lower bound is zero where the applicant uses a qualifying job offer and needs no paid certification step. IRCC - Federal Skilled Trades Program |
| Immigration medical exam· indicative | CA$150-CA$450 | Service | Permanent residence applicants and family members need an immigration medical exam unless IRCC can reuse a recent acceptable exam. Panel-physician fees vary by country and clinic. IRCC - apply for permanent residence through Express Entry |
| Police certificates· indicative | CA$0-CA$150 | Service | Most applicants need police certificates after invitation. Country-specific fees vary; some jurisdictions issue them free, others charge per certificate, fingerprint, translation or delivery. IRCC - apply for permanent residence through Express Entry |
| Document translation / notarisation· indicative | CA$0-CA$300 | Service | Minimum can be zero when every uploaded document is already in English or French. IRCC requires certified translation and supporting copies for documents in other languages. IRCC - apply for permanent residence through Express Entry |
| Educational Credential Assessment for CRS points(optional)· indicative | CA$0-CA$350 | Service | FST has no education requirement. Optional when using foreign education to improve CRS rank in the pool; costs vary by designated organization or professional body. IRCC - Federal Skilled Trades Program |
| Spouse or partner application + RPRF(optional) | CA$1,590 | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line for an accompanying spouse or common-law partner; same economic-immigration fee total as the principal applicant. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees |
| Dependent child application fee(optional) | CA$270per child | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line for each accompanying dependent child. IRCC - citizenship and immigration application fees |
Baseline sunk cost is the CAD 0 Express Entry profile, IRCC principal-applicant processing fee, RPRF, biometrics, first-language test, trade certificate/job-offer gate range, medical exam, police-certificate range and translation/notarisation range for a single FST applicant after invitation to apply. The CAD 15,263 settlement-funds requirement is shown separately because it is money the applicant must show, not money paid away, and it can be waived only where the applicant is currently authorized to work in Canada and has a valid job offer. Optional ECA and dependant costs are excluded unless the applicant needs them. Last checked 1 July 2026.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This cost model is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite Visa Atlas for the compiled sunk/refundable split and cite each linked authority or provider source for the underlying line item.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST) cost-to-complete model", https://visaatlas.org/cost-to-complete/canada-express-entry-fst. Last verified 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/cost-to-complete
FAQs
What does the Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST) actually cost to complete?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are CA$2,075-CA$4,005 in the current model. Separately, refundable proof-of-funds requirements are CA$15,263. The line table explains each item and source.
Is proof of funds a sunk cost?
No. Proof of funds is money you must show, hold or block. It can still be a cash-flow barrier, but it is different from application fees, document costs and insurance payments that you do not normally get back.
Why are some lines marked indicative?
Some third-party costs vary by country, provider and document count. Those lines use a range and are marked indicative so they are not confused with a single government tariff.