If you’re someone with hands-on work experience in a skilled trade, Canada just made it easier for you to get permanent residence through Express Entry.
On February 27, 2025, Canada made major changes to the Trade category under its Express Entry system. These changes are designed to bring in more skilled workers in trade jobs, which are in high demand across the country.
The big news? Canada added 19 new trade occupations to the Express Entry system and removed 4, bringing the total to 25 eligible occupations in the Trade category.
Why is this important?
If your job is on this updated list and you meet other Express Entry requirements, you could be invited for permanent residency (PR) much faster — and with a lower CRS score than most general draws.
List of Eligible Trade Occupations in 2025
Here’s the full updated list of trade occupations accepted under the new Express Entry Trade category. The bolded jobs are newly added.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC code |
|---|---|
| Bricklayers | 72320 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 |
| Carpenters | 72310 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 |
| Construction managers | 70010 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | 82021 |
| Cooks | 63200 |
| Electrical mechanics | 72422 |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Home building and renovation managers | 70011 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | 72999 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 |
| Plumbers | 72300 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
- First, meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry.
- Then, have at least 6 months of full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time work) in one of the listed occupations.
- The work experience must have happened within the last 3 years.
- It must be in one single occupation from the list — you can’t combine time from different jobs.
Even if you worked as an apprentice, your experience may still count as long as you were doing most of the main tasks listed under that trade.
How to Check If Your Job Is Eligible
To check if your job fits the category:
- Go to Canada’s NOC website and use the search bar to find the code that matches your job title.
- Visit the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) site, search by the NOC code, and review the lead statement and job duties.
- Make sure the NOC code appears in the table above. If yes, your job is eligible under the new Trade category.
Your work should match the listed lead duties to be counted. It’s not enough if your job title is close — your tasks must be similar too.
Alternate Job Titles That May Qualify
If your job title is different from the table, don’t worry. Here are some alternate titles that may still qualify under the updated list:
| NOC Occupation Title | Example Job titles |
|---|---|
| Bricklayers | Apprentice bricklayer, Brickmason, Refractory bricklayer, Stonecutter, Stonemason |
| Cabinetmakers | Cabinetmaker apprentice, Custom wood furniture maker, Furniture cabinetmaker |
| Concrete finishers | Cement finisher apprentice, Cement mason, Concrete mason, Precast concrete finisher |
| Construction estimators | Chief estimator – construction, Cost estimator – construction, Principal estimator – construction, Professional quantity surveyor, Quantity surveyor – construction |
| Construction managers | Commercial construction manager, Construction project manager, Construction superintendent, General contractor, Housing construction manager, Industrial construction manager, Pipeline construction manager, Residential construction manager |
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | Fracturing supervisor, Multi-service operator – oil field services, Rig manager |
| Cooks | Apprentice cook, Dietary cook, First cook, Grill cook, Hospital cook, Institutional cook, Journeyman/woman cook, Licensed cook, Line cook, Second cook, Short order cook |
| Electrical mechanics | Armature winder repairer, Coil winder and repairer, Electric motor systems technician, Electrical mechanic apprentice, Electrical rewind mechanic, Electrical transformer repairer, Industrial motor winder-repairer, Power transformer repairer, Transformer repairer |
| Floor covering installers | Carpet layer, Floor covering installer apprentice, Floor covering mechanic, Hardwood floor layer, Residential floor and wall covering installer, Resilient floor installer, Vinyl floor installer |
| Gas fitters | Gas fitter apprentice, Gas servicer, Gas technician, Industrial gas fitter-tester |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | Agricultural equipment technician, Construction equipment mechanic, Diesel mechanic – heavy equipment, Farm equipment mechanic, Heavy equipment mechanic, Heavy mobile logging equipment mechanic, Heavy mobile mining equipment mechanic, Heavy-duty equipment mechanic apprentice, Heavy-duty equipment technician, Locomotive mechanic, Tractor mechanic |
| Home building and renovation managers | Home builder, Home renovation contractor, Home renovator, Renovation contractor, Residential homes contractor |
| Industrial electricians | Industrial electrician apprentice, Marine electrician, Mill electrician, Mine electrician, Plant electrician, Plant maintenance electrician, Shipyard electrician |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | Automotive machinist, Aviation machinist, General machinist, Machine shop inspector, Machined parts inspector, Machining inspector, Machinist, Machinist apprentice, Tooling inspector |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | Aircraft patternmaker, Blacksmith, Commercial diver, Die setter, Explosive ordnance detector, Farrier, Gunsmith, Locksmith, Reclamation diver, Restoration steeplejack, Safe maker, Saw fitter, Small arms repairer, Toolsmith, Underwater contractor, Vault repairer |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | Construction painter, Maintenance painter, Painter and decorator apprentice, Paperhanger |
| Roofers and shinglers | Apprentice roofer, Asphalt roofer, Built-up roofer, Flat roofer, Residential steep roofer, Single-ply roofer |
| Sheet metal workers | Apprentice sheet metal worker, Sheet metal fabricator, Sheet metal mechanic, Tinsmith |
| Water well drillers | Cable tool driller – water well drilling, Churn drill operator – water well drilling, Water well driller apprentice |
Why Trade Workers Now Have a Better Chance at PR
If your job falls under this Trade category, your chances of being invited for PR are now much better. Why? Because category-based draws have lower CRS cut-off scores compared to general draws.
For example, in 2024:
- General draw scores ranged from 524 to 549.
- Trade draw scores were much lower — between 433 and 436.
This means that even if you have a lower CRS score, you could still receive an invitation to apply for PR just by being in the right occupation category.
1. Do I need to be certified or licensed in Canada to qualify?
No, you don’t need a Canadian license to qualify under Express Entry’s Trade category. But you must have done the job for at least 6 months in the past 3 years.
2. Can I combine experience from different trade jobs?
No, your six months of experience must be in one single occupation. Mixing different jobs won’t count.
3. Will apprenticeship experience count?
Yes. If you performed most of the main duties during your apprenticeship, that experience will count.
4. What if my job title isn’t exactly listed?
It’s okay if the title is different. The most important part is that your job duties match the lead description in the NOC code.
5. How do I apply through this category?
You must first create an Express Entry profile. If your experience fits a listed trade job and you meet the other requirements, you may be picked in a category-based draw.
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CREDIT: CIC NEWS
