Permanent residence Canada
Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades Program
Run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Qualified tradespeople (for example electricians, welders, mechanics, chefs) with 2 years of trade work who have a Canadian job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification in their trade.
- Only for people in trades and hospitality.
- Job offer
- Required, unless you hold a certificate of qualification in your trade from a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority. The job offer must be full-time for at least 1 year.
- Language
- CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing (NCLC 5 and NCLC 4 in French).
- Education
- No education requirement.
- Work experience
- 2 years of full-time work (or 3,120 hours) in one skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply, in one of the listed NOC groups (Major Groups 72, 73, 82, 83, 92 or 93).
- Government fee
- CAD 1,590 per adult (processing fee CAD 990 + right of permanent residence fee CAD 600). Biometrics CAD 85 per person.
- Processing time
- Not stated on the official page
- Money you must show
- CAD 15,263 for 1 person, CAD 19,001 for 2, CAD 23,360 for 3, CAD 28,362 for 4 (table updated July 7, 2025). Not needed if you can work legally in Canada and have a valid job offer.
- When and to whom you pay
- Paid online to IRCC when you submit your permanent residence application after an invitation to apply. The right of permanent residence fee can be paid then or on approval.
Checked on 18 October 2026. What the page says
Read on canada.ca on 2026-10-18: "2 years of full-time work experience (or 3,120 hours total)" "within the 5 years before you apply"; "a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year" or "a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority"; "There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program." Language page: speaking and listening "CLB 5", reading and writing "CLB 4". Fee page: "1,590.00". Funds page: "$15,263". Another official page. Another official page. Another official page.