Federal Skilled Trade

Applicants proficient in skilled trades can apply for permanent residency in Canada under the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Applicants with expertise in certain trades and with job offers are eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Applying under this program entitles a foreign national to live anywhere in Canada except the province of Quebec. Quebec has its distinct immigration programs for which applications streams are different.

Applicants applying in this program should possess the requisite experience in skill Level ‘B’ as per the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Immigration, Refugee and Immigration Council (IRCC) announced this program to help in sourcing foreign nationals skilled in specific trades experiencing labour shortages across Canada. The economic capacity of the immigrants to settle down in Canada is a factor in assessing the applicants under this program.

Eligibility Criteria For Federal Skilled Trades Class

An applicant needs to create his profile online in the Express Entry system under the Federal Skilled Trades category. All applicants in the Express Entry pool are assessed on a number of diverse factors including:

A qualification certificate granted by a territorial or provincial body
Permanent, full-time job offer by a Canadian employer (should be for a minimum one year)
Language proficiency in English or French (any one of Canada’s two official languages)
Skilled trade experience of at least 24 months in the last five years counting from the date of application
Demonstrate skills, experience and be able to perform the specific job duties of the occupation

Which Trades Are Included Under Federal Skilled Trades?

The skilled trades included under the national occupation codes under this program 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 designed specific programs for applicants who wish to reside there. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is for applicants who wish to reside in Ontario after they enter Canada. Quebec has its own immigration program for applicants choosing Quebec to live in.