Federal Skilled Trades Program

Federal Skilled Trades Program Overview

The Federal Skilled Trades Program enables individuals qualified in a skilled trade to become permanent residents of Canada. To immigrate as a skilled worker under this program, candidates must satisfy three primary criteria:

• At least two years of work experience in the skilled trades within the last five years.
• Possession of a certificate of qualification in a skilled trade issued by a Canadian authority, or a valid job offer in that trade.
• Language proficiency in English or French, demonstrated by achieving Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5 for speaking and listening, and level 4 for reading and writing.

Minimum Requirement: Experience in Skilled Trades

To qualify for immigration under the Federal Skilled Trades Program, applicants must have at least two years of full-time work experience, or an equivalent amount of part-time work experience, within the past five years in one of the following skilled trades:

General trades: Major Group 73

• Concrete finishers: NOC 73100
• Tile setters: NOC 73101
• Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers: NOC 73102
• Roofers and shinglers: NOC 73110
• Glaziers: NOC 73111
• Painters and decorators (except interior decorators): NOC 73112
• Floor covering installers: NOC 73113
• Residential and commercial installers and servicers: NOC 73200
• General building maintenance workers and building superintendents: NOC 73201
• Pest controllers and fumigators: NOC 73202
• Other repairers and servicers: NOC 73209
• Transport truck drivers: NOC 73300
• Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators: NOC 73301
• Railway and yard locomotive engineers: NOC 73310
• Railway conductors and brakemen/women: NOC 73311
• Heavy equipment operators: NOC 73400
• Printing press operators: NOC 73401
• Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction: NOC 73402

Technical trades: Major Group 72 

• Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations: NOC 72010
• Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations: NOC 72011
• Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades: NOC 72012
• Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades: NOC 72013
• Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers: NOC 72014
• Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades: NOC 72020
• Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews: NOC 72021
• Supervisors, printing and related occupations: NOC 72022
• Supervisors, railway transport operations: NOC 72023
• Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators: NOC 72024
• Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations: NOC 72025
• Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors: NOC 72100
• Tool and die makers: NOC 72101
• Sheet metal workers: NOC 72102
• Boilermakers: NOC 72103
• Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters: NOC 72104
• Ironworkers: NOC 72105
• Welders and related machine operators: NOC 72106
• Electricians (except industrial and power system): NOC 72200
• Industrial electricians: NOC 72201
• Power system electricians: NOC 72202
• Electrical power line and cable workers: NOC 72203
• Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers: NOC 72204
• Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians: NOC 72205
• Plumbers: NOC 72300
• Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers: NOC 72301
• Gas fitters: NOC 72302
• Carpenters: NOC 72310
• Cabinetmakers: NOC 72311
• Bricklayers: NOC 72320
• Insulators: NOC 72321
• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics: NOC 72400
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics: NOC 72401
• Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics: NOC 72402
• Railway carmen/women: NOC 72403
• Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors: NOC 72404
• Machine fitters: NOC 72405
• Elevator constructors and mechanics: NOC 72406
• Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics: NOC 72420
• Appliance servicers and repairers: NOC 72421
• Electrical mechanics: NOC 72422
• Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics: NOC 72423
• Other small engine and small equipment repairers: NOC 72429
• Crane operators: NOC 72500
• Water well drillers: NOC 72501
• Other technical trades and related occupations: NOC 72999

Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production: Major Group 82

• Supervisors, logging and forestry: NOC 82010
• Supervisors, mining and quarrying: NOC 82020
• Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services: NOC 82021
• Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors: NOC 82030
• Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services: NOC 82031

Occupations in natural resources and related production: Major Group 83

• Underground production and development miners: NOC 83100
• Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers: NOC 83101
• Logging machinery operators: NOC 83110
• Fishing masters and officers: NOC 83120
• Fishermen/women: NOC 83121

Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers: Major Group 92

• Supervisors, mineral and metal processing: NOC 92010
• Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities: NOC 92011
• Supervisors, food and beverage processing: NOC 92012
• Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing: NOC 92013
• Supervisors, forest products processing: NOC 92014
• Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing: NOC 92015
• Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling: NOC 92020
• Supervisors, electronics and electrical products manufacturing: NOC 92021
• Supervisors, furniture and fixtures manufacturing: NOC 92022
• Supervisors, other mechanical and metal products manufacturing: NOC 92023
• Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly: NOC 92024
• Power engineers and power systems operators: NOC 92100
• Water and waste treatment plant operators: NOC 92101

Central control and process operators: Major Group 93

• Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing: NOC 93100
• Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing: NOC 93101
• Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators: NOC 93102

Cooks, butchers and bakers: Minor Group 6320

• Cooks: NOC 63200
• Butchers - retail and wholesale: NOC 63201
• Bakers: NOC 63202

Chefs: Unit Group 62200

• Chefs: NOC 62200

Candidates must show they performed the duties listed in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC, including all the essential duties and most of the main duties.

For example, consider a candidate who is an electrician from Mexico, qualified to practice independently in that trade within Mexico and has worked as an electrician there for 1 year. However, electricians from Mexico may encounter different regulations when working in another country. Let’s assume the candidate then worked for 1 year as an electrician in Croatia. In this case, the work experience from Croatia will count toward the 2-year work experience requirement only if the candidate also met the criteria to practice independently as an electrician in Croatia. Therefore, to have 2 years of experience as an electrician considered valid, a candidate must demonstrate that he was certified or licensed to be an electrician in both Mexico and Croatia, in accordance with the regulations of each country.

If he worked for 1 year as an electrician in Ontario, for that experience to be counted, he must prove he met Ontario’s requirements for practicing independently as an electrician. Most likely, he would need a Certificate of Qualification from the Ontario College of Trades, which is the professional regulatory body responsible for issuing certificates of qualification and statements of membership within the province of Ontario.

Minimum Requirement: Job Offer or Certificate of Qualification

A candidate must possess a Certificate of Qualification in the skilled trade, issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority, or have a valid job offer for full-time employment for a total period of at least one year.

If a trade is not regulated and a Certificate of Qualification cannot be obtained in the destination province or at the federal level (if applicable), then the candidate must secure a valid job offer for full-time employment for a minimum of one year. The provincial or federal body that oversees skilled trades will assess the candidate's qualifications for the province or territory where they wish to live and work.

The process of assessing qualifications varies depending on the Canadian province and whether a candidate requires a certificate of qualification to work in a specific skilled trade within that province or territory, including the steps necessary to obtain such a certificate. Below are links to the provincial or territorial regulatory bodies:

• ‍Alberta‍
• British Columbia‍
• Manitoba‍
• New Brunswick‍
• Newfoundland and Labrador‍
• Northwest Territories‍
• Nova Scotia‍
• Nunavut‍
• Ontario‍
• Prince Edward Island‍
• Saskatchewan‍
• Yukon

Some trades are regulated at the federal level. For example, the profession of an airplane mechanic is federally regulated. For more information on credential assessment for all regulated trades in Canada, you might want to contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.

Language Ability

To qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, a candidate must achieve a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 4 in reading and writing and CLB 5 and NCLC 5 in speaking and listening. Candidates can choose to take either the English or French language tests:

• CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (General)
• IELTS: International English Language Testing System (General)
• PTE Core: Pearson Test of English
• TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
• TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français

The language test result is accepted if it is less than 2 years old (on the day you apply for permanent residence).

Minimum Requirement: Proof of Funds

Applicants must provide evidence that they have enough money to cover basic needs for themselves and their family. The required amount depends on the size of the family, including the applicant, their spouse or common-law partner, dependent children (under 22 years old), and the spouse’s dependent children. Funds required based on family size are as follows:

• 1 person: $13,757 (if only the applicant)
• 2 persons: $17,127
• 3 persons: $21,055
• 4 persons: $25,564
• 5 persons: $28,994
• 6 persons: $32,700
• 7 persons: $36,407

For more than 7 people, for each additional family member: $3,706

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