Federal Skilled Trade

Under the Federal Skilled Trades Program, skilled tradespeople can seek for permanent residency in Canada.

Applicants with experience in specific trades and job offers in Canada are able to apply for permanent residency. A foreign individual who applies under this scheme is allowed to live anywhere in Canada except Quebec. Quebec has its own immigration policies, with varied application processes.

Applicants for this programme must have experience in skill level ‘B’ as defined by the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).

This programme was announced by the Immigration, Refugee and Immigration Council (IRCC) to assist in locating foreign nationals proficient in specific trades that are experiencing labour shortages across Canada. The economic capacity of immigrants to settle in Canada is taken into account while evaluating candidates for this programme

Eligibility Criteria For Federal Skilled Trades Class

Under the Federal Skilled Trades category, an applicant must build an online profile in the Express Entry system. All Express Entry applications are evaluated on a number of different factors, including:

✓ A certificate of qualification issued by a territory or provincial authority.

✓ A Canadian employer has offered me a permanent, full-time position (should be for a minimum one year)

✓ Language competence in either English or French (Canada’s two official languages) is required.

✓ In the last five years, counting from the date of application, you must have had at least 24 months of skilled trade experience.

✓ Demonstrate skills, experience, and the ability to fulfil the occupation’s specific work duties.

Which Trades Are Included Under Federal Skilled Trades ?

The skilled trades covered by this program’s national occupation codes include :

Major Group 72: trades of industrial, electrical and construction sectors
Major Group 73: trades of maintenance and equipment operation
Major Group 82: jobs in the supervisory and technical field in agriculture, natural resources, and associated production fields
Major Group 92: trades in the area of manufacturing, processing, utility supervision and central control operators
Minor Group 632: cooks and chefs
Minor Group 633: bakers and butchers

Individual provinces have created unique programmes for candidates who seek to live in their jurisdiction. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is for people who want to live in Ontario once they arrive in Canada. Quebec has its own immigration programme for people who want to live there.

Express Entry, federal skilled worker program, skilled worker, trade immigration