Do I need a Canadian trade certificate before applying?

Either a certificate of qualification or a qualifying job offer is generally needed. Obtaining a certificate means dealing with the provincial regulator for that trade, and each province runs its own assessment.

Is my trade on the list?

The eligible trades are defined by occupational classification, and the classification is more specific than a job title. Two people describing themselves the same way can fall on different sides of it.

Are the language requirements the same as other Express Entry programs?

They are generally lower for this program, and can differ between speaking, listening, reading and writing. Lower does not mean waived — a formal test is still required.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Express Entry route for qualified people working in an eligible skilled trade.

Two warehouse workers beside a forklift, one holding a tablet

What this program is

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is the narrowest of the three Express Entry programs. It is built for people with experience in specific skilled trades — construction, industrial, maintenance, and certain agriculture, manufacturing and services occupations — rather than for skilled workers generally.

What separates it from the other two is that trade competence usually has to be demonstrated through something external: either a certificate of qualification issued by a Canadian province or territory, or a qualifying job offer. A certificate generally means being assessed by the provincial body that regulates that trade, which is a process in its own right and is often the longest part of the timeline.

Language requirements are lower than for the Federal Skilled Worker route, reflecting the nature of the work, but they still apply and are still tested formally.

At a glance
Managed through	Express Entry
Occupations	Defined skilled trades only
Usually requires	A provincial certificate of qualification, or a qualifying job offer
Trade certification	Assessed by the province or territory, not by IRCC
Ranked in the pool by	Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

What you'll generally need

Evidence of experience in an eligible skilled trade, with duties matching the published occupational description.
A certificate of qualification from a Canadian province or territory, or a qualifying job offer.
Language test results meeting the levels set for this program.
Passport, police certificates and an immigration medical exam.

What an application on this route usually involves. Not a checklist that guarantees anything — IRCC sets the requirements, and they change.

Who this program fits

Experienced tradespeople in eligible occupations who can evidence their experience and obtain certification.
People already working in Canada in a trade, who may be able to obtain a provincial certificate more readily.
Not a fit for skilled occupations outside the defined trades list, however technical the work.

Whether it fits you is what a consultation is for. This page cannot answer that and does not try to.

Maximum points by section
Section	With a spouse	Without a spouse
A. Core / human capital factors	460	500
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors	40	n/a
C. Skill transferability factors	100	100
D. Additional points	600	600
Maximum total	1,200	1,200

Core / human capital factors
Factor	With a spouse	Without a spouse
Age	100	110
Level of education	140	150
First official language	128	136
Second official language	22	24
Canadian work experience	70	80

Additional points
Factor	Maximum points
Provincial or territorial nomination	600
French language skills	50
Post-secondary education in Canada	30
Brother or sister living in Canada (18+, citizen or permanent resident)	15

Age	With a spouse	Without a spouse
17 or younger	0	0
18	90	99
19	95	105
20 to 29	100	110
30	95	105
31	90	99
32	85	94
33	80	88
34	75	83
35	70	77
36	65	72
37	60	66
38	55	61
39	50	55
40	45	50
41	35	39
42	25	28
43	15	17

Common mistakes

Assuming a job title determines the trade

Eligibility runs on the occupational classification and the duties actually performed, not on what a role was called by an employer.

Starting certification too late

Provincial trade certification frequently takes longer than the immigration steps around it, and it usually cannot be shortcut.

Overlooking the language test entirely

Because the required levels are lower, applicants sometimes assume no test is needed. One is.

References

Is this the right program for you?

That is the one question this page cannot answer. Start with the free assessment, then bring your situation to a consultation with the RCIC-IRB.

Start Your Assessment Book a paid consultation

This page is general information. It is not an assessment of your eligibility, and nothing on it is immigration advice for consideration. Federal Skilled Trades Program matters at ZIMMR are advised on directly by Irshad Osman, RCIC-IRB.

Verify on the CICC public register

Other programs under permanent residence

Federal Skilled Worker Canadian Experience Class Provincial Nominee Programs

Back to Permanent Residence

Category-based rounds

The categories were overhauled in February 2026 and the occupation lists were rewritten with them. The STEM category in particular is much narrower than it once was: it no longer includes software engineers, software developers, data scientists, computer engineers or web developers. Guides written before 2026 — and most third-party category checkers — still show the old lists.

French-language proficiencyNo occupation list

The only category based on language rather than occupation. No job list applies — it turns on French test results.

What it requires

French test results showing a minimum score of 7 in all four language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC).
Meeting all the requirements set out in the instructions for that round.

Healthcare and social services occupations37 occupations

The largest category by occupation count, spanning physicians and nurses through to technologists, assistants and social services roles.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
Experience may have been gained in Canada or abroad.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
31100	Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine	1
31101	Specialists in surgery	1
31102	General practitioners and family physicians	1
31103	Veterinarians	1
31110	Dentists	1
31111	Optometrists	1
31112	Audiologists and speech-language pathologists	1
31120	Pharmacists	1
31121	Dietitians and nutritionists	1
31200	Psychologists	1
31201	Chiropractors	1
31202	Physiotherapists	1
31203	Occupational therapists	1
31209	Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating	1
31300	Nursing coordinators and supervisors	1
31301	Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses	1
31302	Nurse practitioners	1
31303	Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals	1
32101	Licensed practical nurses	2
32102	Paramedical occupations	2
32103	Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists	2
32104	Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians	2
32109	Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment	2
32111	Dental hygienists and dental therapists	2
32120	Medical laboratory technologists	2
32121	Medical radiation technologists	2
32122	Medical sonographers	2
32123	Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists	2
32124	Pharmacy technicians	2
32129	Other medical technologists and technicians	2
32201	Massage therapists	2
33101	Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations	3
33102	Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates	3
33103	Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants	3
41300	Social workers	1
41301	Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies	1
42201	Social and community service workers	2

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations11 occupations

Much narrower than its name suggests. It is built around engineering and engineering technology — not software.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
Experience may have been gained in Canada or abroad.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
20011	Architecture and science managers	0
21220	Cybersecurity specialists	1
21300	Civil engineers	1
21301	Mechanical engineers	1
21310	Electrical and electronics engineers	1
21321	Industrial and manufacturing engineers	1
21331	Geological engineers	1
22300	Civil engineering technologists and technicians	2
22301	Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians	2
22310	Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	2
63100	Insurance agents and brokers	3

Trade occupations25 occupations

Construction and skilled trades, plus the management roles that run them.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
Experience may have been gained in Canada or abroad.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
22303	Construction estimators	2
63201	Butchers — retail and wholesale	3
70010	Construction managers	0
70011	Home building and renovation managers	0
72100	Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors	2
72102	Sheet metal workers	2
72106	Welders and related machine operators	2
72200	Electricians (except industrial and power system)	2
72201	Industrial electricians	2
72300	Plumbers	2
72302	Gas fitters	2
72310	Carpenters	2
72311	Cabinetmakers	2
72320	Bricklayers	2
72400	Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics	2
72401	Heavy-duty equipment mechanics	2
72402	Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics	2
72422	Electrical mechanics	2
72501	Water well drillers	2
72999	Other technical trades and related occupations	2
73100	Concrete finishers	3
73110	Roofers and shinglers	3
73112	Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)	3
73113	Floor covering installers	3
82021	Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services	2

Education occupationsNew in 20265 occupations

School teaching and early childhood education. Post-secondary teaching sits in the researchers category instead.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
Experience may have been gained in Canada or abroad.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
41220	Secondary school teachers	1
41221	Elementary school and kindergarten teachers	1
42202	Early childhood educators and assistants	2
42203	Instructors of persons with disabilities	2
43100	Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants	3

Transport occupationsNew in 20264 occupations

A short list weighted towards aviation, plus vehicle mechanics.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
Experience may have been gained in Canada or abroad.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
22313	Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors	2
72404	Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors	2
72410	Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics, and mechanical repairers	2
72600	Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors	2

Physicians with Canadian work experienceNew in 20263 occupations

The same three physician occupations as the healthcare category, but the experience must have been gained in Canada.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
The experience must have been gained in Canada.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
31100	Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine	1
31101	Specialists in surgery	1
31102	General practitioners and family physicians	1

Senior managers with Canadian work experienceNew in 20264 occupations

The four TEER 0 senior management occupations, with Canadian experience required.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
The experience must have been gained in Canada.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
00012	Senior managers — financial, communications and other business services	0
00013	Senior managers — health, education, social and community services and membership organizations	0
00014	Senior managers — trade, broadcasting and other services	0
00015	Senior managers — construction, transportation, production and utilities	0

Researchers with Canadian work experienceNew in 20262 occupations

University teaching and research roles, with Canadian experience required.

What it requires

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) accumulated within the past 3 years, in a single occupation from that category's list. The experience does not have to be continuous, and it counts regardless of what the candidate's primary occupation is.
The experience must have been gained in Canada.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
41200	University professors and lecturers	1
41201	Post-secondary teaching and research assistants	1

Skilled military recruitsNew in 20263 occupations

A narrow route tied to the Canadian Armed Forces' Foreign Skilled Military Applicant process, not to ordinary work experience.

What it requires

Being a Foreign Skilled Military Applicant: a foreign national serving in a recognised foreign military.
A minimum of ten years of continuous service.
Work experience and training aligned with the main duties of one or more of the occupations listed below.

Occupations in this category

NOC	Occupation	TEER
40042	Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces	0
42102	Specialized members of the Canadian Armed Forces	2
43204	Operations members of the Canadian Armed Forces	3

Being eligible for a category does not mean an invitation will follow. Candidates must first qualify for one of the three Express Entry programs to enter the pool at all, and category-based rounds still invite by ranking. IRCC sets and changes these categories, and the occupation lists are revised — check the IRCC page linked here for the version in force on the day you apply. ZIMMR does not publish target scores or predict rounds.

Reproduced from IRCC's published criteria. IRCC page last modified 22 June 2026; checked against the source on 12 September 2026.

Category-based selection on canada.ca

Federal Skilled Trades Program

What this program is

What you'll generally need

Who this program fits

Comprehensive Ranking System points

Common mistakes

Assuming a job title determines the trade

Starting certification too late

Overlooking the language test entirely

Questions

References

Is this the right program for you?

Other programs under permanent residence

Category-based rounds

What it requires

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

What it requires

Occupations in this category

Related reading

How Express Entry invitations are actually issued in 2026

How to find your NOC code (and why yours may be wrong)

The trade occupations category: the full list of 25 trades