Canada has issued 500 new invitations to apply for permanent residence status to Federal Skilled Trades Class candidates in a draw held October 16.

This was the second draw of 2019 to target candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC).

The FSTC is open to foreign nationals qualified to work in an eligible skilled trade in Canada or those with an eligible offer of employment in Canada, among other criteria.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for this draw was 357.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied its tie-break rule in the October 16 draw. In order to receive an invitation, candidates with scores of 357 must have submitted their profiles on or prior to March 4, 2019, at 20:36:42 UTC.

Candidates are awarded a score under the CRS based on factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French and a set number of the highest-ranked are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the pool.

For more information on the October 16 Express Entry draw, please read the latest article on CIC News.com.