Last, but not least, the Federal Skilled Trades Program is the last of the 3 federal programs managed through Express Entry and is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

To be eligible, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Language ability: you must take approved language tests in English or French and get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 for 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. 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.

• 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.

There are no education requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades program, but if you want to improve your score in the Express Entry pool of candidates, you can get extra points for education. That being said, you will need a completed 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.

Above all, you must be admissible to Canada. If you are inadmissible to Canada, you will not be allowed to come to Canada, even if you qualify for the program.

Also, you must plan to live outside the province of Quebec, but you can 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.

The best way is visiting 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 here.

To make sure your application is complete and accurate, we always recommend hiring a certified immigration consultant. Good luck!