Federal Skilled Trades Program

To be eligible, you must:

• Plan to live outside the province of Quebec,
• 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 you apply
• Meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), except for needing a certificate of qualification
• Have a full-time job offer for a total period of at least one year in the trade you are applying for
• Have a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.

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

• Industrial, electrical and construction trades
• Maintenance and equipment operation trades
• Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
• Processing, manufacturing and utility supervisors and central control operators
• Chefs and cooks
• Butchers and bakers

Education:

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to earn points for your education under Express Entry, you either need to provide

• Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
• A completed foreign credential, and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an agency approved by IRCC.

Language ability:

You must take a language test approved by Immigration, refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that shows you meet the minimum language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and writing.