Federal Skilled Trades Class

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. Tradespeople are chosen as permanent residents based on their work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other factors. Candidates can apply through Express Entry as their first step to immigrating to Canada permanently. Under the Express Entry system, applicants are invited to apply for permanent residence based on their profile. Once selected, and awarded an Invitation to Apply (ITA), candidates and their dependents must obtain security clearances and medical examinations as part of the application process.

Skilled Trades Experience:

Have at least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply (or an equal amount of part-time work experience).

Certification or Offer of Employment:

Have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year. Up to two employers can commit to employing you for at least one year of continuous full-time work, meaning a total of at least 30 hours of work per week.

OR

Have a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority. In Canada, each province and territory has its own trade regulations. To get a certificate, the provincial or territorial trades authority must assess your training, trade experience and skills to decide if you are eligible to write an exam to be certified. It is often difficult to get certified from outside of Canada; therefore, this program may be most beneficial to those who are already working in Canada as temporary foreign workers, or tradespeople with a valid job offer.  If the trade is not regulated, you will need a valid job offer.

NOC Skill Type B are eligible for the Skilled Trades Program:

· 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.

Find out the NOC code, title and skill type or level for your job.

Language:

Meet the language ability by providing an approved language test in English or French that shows you have a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in speaking and listening, and CLB 4 in reading and writing. 

Education:

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. 

If, however, you want to earn points for your education under Express Entry, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian school and or foreign education with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an approved agency showing your foreign education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.

Note: You will only benefit from getting an ECA if your foreign education is equal to a completed Canadian high school diploma or greater.

Residence:

Plan to live outside the province of Quebec.