General Information about the Federal Skilled Trades Program
The program is aimed at representatives of trades related to construction, industrial production, mining, heavy equipment operation, and agriculture (list of in-demand occupations at the end of this overview).
Applicants are selected based on an assessment of their professional suitability. Currently, there is a list of 43 occupations for which applications are accepted under this program. An applicant under the Federal Skilled Trades Program must have relevant training and at least two years of work experience within the last five years in one of the occupations on the list of in-demand occupations.
Only 3,000 applications per year are accepted under the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Moreover, for 17 occupations on the list of in-demand occupations, there is a quota on the number of applications accepted, which must not exceed 100 applications per year.
Requirements for Applicants under the Federal Skilled Trades Program
As already mentioned, the applicant must have relevant training and work experience in one of the occupations from the list of in-demand occupations. Two years of experience in the occupation within the last five years is required. In addition, the applicant must meet all requirements for that occupation under the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).
The applicant must also demonstrate English language proficiency according to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) scale of at least 5 in speaking and listening, and at least 4 in writing and reading. To confirm these skills, test results from CELPIP or IELTS must be provided. If the primary language is French, then TEF test results must be provided.
The applicant must have a job offer from a Canadian company for at least one year, or at least a qualification certificate issued by the relevant regulatory body of one of the Canadian provinces. Therefore, before submitting an application, you must first contact the organization responsible for issuing licenses and undergo a preliminary assessment to determine whether you meet the requirements of that organization.
If the application is accepted for processing, the applicant and all family members included in the application must undergo a medical examination to ensure they do not have diseases that would make them inadmissible for permanent residence in Canada.
Submitting an Application under the Federal Skilled Trades Program
To immigrate under the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must complete an application for yourself and your family members who will accompany you, attach the required documents, and provide proof of payment of the government processing fees for all family members. The application with the attached documents is submitted to the Centralized Intake Office (CIE) located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
In addition to the application, you must provide:
– Results of an English/French language test;
– A job offer from a Canadian employer or a qualification certificate issued by the relevant professional body in one of the provinces;
– Proof of payment of the government processing fee;
– Documents confirming your education, work experience, availability of sufficient funds, lack of criminal record, etc. The full list of documents can be found on the website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (link provided at the end of the article).
List of In-Demand Occupations
Group A – occupations for which no more than 100 applications per year are accepted for each:
7202 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
7204 – Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
7205 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
7271 – Carpenters
7301 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
7302 – Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
8211 – Supervisors, logging and forestry
8221 – Supervisors, mining and quarrying
8222 – Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling services
8241 – Logging machinery operators
8252 – Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
9211 – Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
9212 – Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
9214 – Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing
9231 – Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
9241 – Power engineers and power systems operators
9243 – Water and waste treatment plant operators
Group B – occupations for which there is no limit on the number of applications accepted, within the quota of 3,000 applications per year:
7231 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7233 – Sheet metal workers
7235 – Structural metal and plate work fabricators and fitters
7236 – Ironworkers
7237 – Welders and related machine operators
7241 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
7242 – Industrial electricians
7243 – Power system electricians
7244 – Electrical power line and cable workers
7245 – Telecommunications line and cable workers
7246 – Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7251 – Plumbers
7252 – Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
7253 – Gas fitters
7311 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
7312 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
7313 – Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
7314 – Railway carmen/women
7315 – Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
7318 – Elevator constructors and mechanics
7371 – Crane operators
7372 – Drillers and blasters – surface, mining, quarrying and construction
7373 – Water well drillers
8231 – Underground production and development miners
8232 – Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
9232 – Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators
Links related to this program
Page of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), describing the application procedure for immigration under the Federal Skilled Trades Program: www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/trades
List of in-demand occupations under the Federal Skilled Trades Program: www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/trades/applications.asp
Forms required for filling out and subsequent submission under the Federal Skilled Trades Program and list of required documents attached to the application: www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/trades.asp
Organization responsible for issuing qualification certificates for various occupations in different provinces and territories of Canada: www.red-seal.ca/