Federal Skilled Trades Program

With widespread labour shortages across Canada in many skilled trades occupations, the Federal Skilled Trades Program is the only federal economic immigration pathway for tradespersons.

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What is the Federal Skilled Trades Program?

Applying for permanent residence through the Federal Skilled Trades program means that you have acquired work experience in a skilled trade National Occupational Classification (NOC) in or outside of Canada.

In order to begin the process as a tradesperson, you will need to create an express entry profile and receive a Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS). The program-specific draws for the Federal Skilled Trades class often have a much lower CRS score, with the lowest recorded at 199.

To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must:

Have at least two years of full-time or part-time equivalent work experience in a skilled trade within five years
Have a valid job offer (usually supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment) for at least one year or a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade issued by the provincial regulatory body
Receive CLB 5 in speaking and listening and CLB 4 on reading and writing in your approved language test
Be able to prove you have the skills and experience to perform the duties of the occupation and meet the job requirements listed in the National Occupation Classification
There is no education requirement, but including education will improve your overall CRS score
You must be admissible to Canada; this includes maintaining valid status if you reside in Canada
You must plan to live outside of the province of Quebec. Applicants who are in Quebec or work in Quebec can still apply through express entry but must prove their intention to

Eligible National Occupational Classification (NOC) for Skilled Trades

The skilled trades program is organized into the following NOC groups:

Major Group 72: industrial, electrical and construction trades,
Major Group 73: maintenance and equipment operation trades,
Major Group 82: supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production,
Major Group 92: processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators,
Minor Group 632: chefs and cooks, and
Minor Group 633: butchers and bakers.

In order to be eligible for the trades program, you must have worked in a position that falls under the above Major and Minor NOC groups.

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What is a Certificate of Qualification?

A Certificate of Qualification is an official notice that you have passed the provincial qualification exam for a specific trade and meet all the requirements to practice the trade in a specific province.

In order to obtain a Certificate of Qualification, you must contact the regulatory body that governs the trade in your province of interest. They will complete an assessment of your training, experience and skills, and determine if you are eligible to write an exam to be certified. If your trade is not regulated provincially, it may be regulated federally.

What Does A Job Offer (Arranged Employment) Mean?

In order to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Class, you must have a Certificate of Qualification or a valid job offer. This should not be confused with a “regular” offer of employment.

To have a valid job offer under this category, you must:

Have a new Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) OR
Be currently working in Canada in a skilled trade job on an LMIA based work permit OR
Be on an LMIA exempt work permit and have worked for one full year for your Canadian employer

AND

Have a valid offer of employment for a full-time permanent skilled trade (NOC that starts with 72,73,82,92 or 632 and 633) for at least one year. The offer can be made by two employers.

Open work permits are not eligible work permits for consideration of a job offer/arranged employment.