The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. Skilled Trades currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are under these major and minor groups of the 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, and
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers.

These major NOC groups are subdivided into different NOC skill type B occupations. The applicant must show that they performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC, including all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed. If they don’t show that their experience meets the description in the NOC, their application will not be accepted. Federal Skilled Trades Program applications must be made based on the 2011 version of the NOC.

Applications must be completed in accordance to the requirements in place at the time a person applies. To apply, the applicant must meet these requirements:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec (Note: The province of Quebec chooses its own skilled workers. If the applicant plans on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information),
• meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening),
• have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience)* in a skilled trade within the five years before the applicant apply,
• meet all job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and
• have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a provincial/ territorial body.