Eligibility to apply for the Federal Skilled Trades
Program (Express Entry)
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled workers
who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled
trade.
Minimum requirements
To be eligible, you must:
·
Meet the required
language levels for each language ability:
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking.
·
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,
·
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 a certificate
of qualification in that skilled trade issued
by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
Skilled work experience
Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are
organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
- · 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
- · Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers
The major NOC groups are subdivided into different
occupations, and they are all skill type B.
You must show that you performed the duties set out in
the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This
includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
If you do not show that your experience meets the
description in the NOC, we won’t accept your application.
Federal Skilled Trades Program applications must be made
based on the 2016 version of the NOC.
Education
There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled
Trades Program. But, if you want to improve your rank
in the Express Entry pool, there are 2 ways you can do this.
- If you went to school in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- · secondary (high school) or
- · post-secondary school
OR
- If you have foreign education, you can get points for:
- · a completed foreign credential, and
- · an Educational Credential Assessment report from an approved agency showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary (high school) or
- post-secondary school
Language ability
You must:
·
meet the minimum score
of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 for reading and writing
·
take
approved language tests for:
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
·
enter the test
results in your Express Entry profile
Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of
the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent
residence.
Admissibility
You must be admissible
to Canada.
Where you can live in Canada
You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The
province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in
Quebec, see Quebec-selected
skilled workers for more information.
Get assessed by the province or territory
You will likely have to go to the province or territory to
be assessed for your trade. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you
experience and training.
To learn more about getting assessed, you should go to the
website of the body that governs trades for the province/territory where you
would like to live and work. The process is different depending on where you
want to go.
Each website has more details about certificates of
qualification to work in that province or territory in a specific skilled
trade, and what you have to do to get one.
If your trade is not regulated by a province or territory
(for example, airplane mechanic), it may be federally regulated. You can find
out who regulates your trade by visiting The Canadian
Information Centre for International Credentials website.
Next steps