Canada's Federal Skilled Trades Program opens for business

Canada's new immigration programme for tradespeople opened for applications on 2nd January 2013. The scheme is intended to help skilled tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians and metalworkers to attain Canadian permanent resident status. It will do this by focussing on skills and trades qualifications and less on academic learning and linguistic ability than the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); tradespeople typically did not gain enough points to come under FSWP.


In the first year only 3,000 applications will be accepted. We recommend that if you wish to apply, you should do so quickly. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received so the sooner you apply, the better your chances.


Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney first announced the scheme in 2012. On December 10th 2012, he announced that in order to be successful, applicants will need:

• An offer of employment in Canada or a 'certificate of qualification' from a province or territory which will certify that applicants are 'job ready' on arrival.
• Basic language skills
• A minimum of two years' recent work experience as a skilled tradesperson
• To be able to demonstrate that they possess skills that match those set out in the National Occupation Classification system (NOCB)


Mr Kenney told reporters on December 10th that the list of trades that would qualify for the FSTP would be published before 2nd January 2013.


The list features two groups of trades. In Group A there will be a sub-cap of 100 applications in each trade. In Group B, there will be no sub-caps.


The full list is set out below.
Group A –Sub-caps of 100 applications per trade
• Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
• Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
• Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
• Carpenters
• Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
• Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
• Supervisors, logging and forestry
• Supervisors, mining and quarrying
• Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling services
• Logging machinery operators
• Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
• Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
• Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
• Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing
• Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
• Power engineers and power systems operators
• Water and waste treatment plant operators


Group B – no sub-caps
• Machinists and machining tool inspectors
• Sheet metal workers
• Structural metal and plate work fabricators and fitters
• Ironworkers
• Welders and related machine operators
• Electricians (except industrial and power system)
• Industrial electricians
• Power system electricians
• Electrical power line and cable workers
• Telecommunications line and cable workers
• Telecommunications installation and repair workers
• Plumbers
• Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
• Gas fitters
• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
• Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
• Railway carmen/women
• Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
• Elevator constructors and mechanics
• Crane operators
• Drillers and blasters - surface, mining, quarrying and construction
• Water well drillers
• Underground production and development miners
• Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
• Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators


Speaking at the launch of the FSTP in Ottawa on 2nd January 2013, Mr Kenney said 'the new Skilled Trades Program will address serious labour shortages that some regions of the country are facing and will help grow Canada's economy…Canadian employers have long been asking for ways to get the skilled tradespeople they need to meet demands in many industries.'


Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in Canada. Please visit our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html