Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry)

The Federal Skilled Trade Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

You profile could be selected if you are eligible and meet the required language levels for each of language ability( minimum CLB 4 is needed in Reading and writing ), have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply, your work experience must be for paid work (paid wages or earned commission, meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification. have a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.

Skilled Trades currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are under these major and minor groups of the NOC:

Applications must be completed in accordance with the requirements in place at the time a you applies. To apply, the applicant must meet these requirements:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec (Note: The province of Quebec chooses its own skilled workers. If the applicant plans on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information),
• meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening),
• have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience)* in a skilled trade within the five years before the applicant apply,
• meet all job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and
• have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year** or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a provincial/ territorial body.***

*“Full-time work” means at least 30 hours of work over a period of one week,

**Up to two employers can commit to employing the applicant for at least one year of continuous full-time work, meaning at least 30 hours of work over a period of one week.

*** In Canada, only the provinces and territories can issue certificates of qualification in the skilled trades. To get this certificate, the provincial or territorial trades authority must assess the applicant’s training, trade experience and skills to decide if the applicant is eligible to write an exam to be certified. 

The applicant will likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed. The applicant may also need an employer in Canada to give the applicant experience and training.

Language testing

The applicant must show the applicant meets the minimum requirements in English or French for each of the four language abilities:

• reading,
• writing,
• speaking, and
• listening

To do this, the applicant must take an English or French language test from an organization approved by IRCC. The applicant must then include the results of the applicant’s test with the applicant’s application.

The applicant must meet the minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing.

Inadmissibility

Some people are inadmissible—they are not allowed to come to Canada. Several things can make the applicant inadmissible, such as being involved in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime.

The applicant can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons. An assessment is required before inadmissible persons can apply under an immigration program.

• If you have foreign education, you can get points for a completed educational credential, if you have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
  • secondary institution (high school) or
  • post-secondary institution