News
New Federal Skilled Trades Program Accepts Applications

January 2, 2013, Ottawa, ON — The brand-new Federal Skilled
Trades Program begins accepting applications today, announced Citizenship,
Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

January 2, 2013, Ottawa, ON — The brand-new Federal Skilled
Trades Program begins accepting applications today, announced Citizenship,
Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“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,” said Minister
Kenney. “These long-overdue changes are part of the government’s plan to build
a fast and flexible immigration system that is responsive to the needs of
Canada’s economy. Canadian employers have long been asking for ways to get the
skilled tradespeople they need to meet demands in many industries across the
country. We’ve listened to their concerns and created this program in
response.”

In the
program’s first year, CIC will accept applications from up to 3,000 people in
specific trades. The occupation list was designed to reflect current labour
market needs and ensure the program delivers a diverse range of skilled
tradespeople to fuel Canada’s economy. Within the 3,000, there will be no limit
on 26 in-demand occupations, while 17 occupations will be subject to sub-limits
of 100 applications each. In total, there are 43 occupations eligible for the
Federal Skilled Trades Program. Applications are expected to be processed
within 12 months.

In
addition to being qualified for an eligible occupation, Federal Skilled Trades Program
applicants must demonstrate basic language proficiency in either English or
French at the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 for speaking and
listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing. This is due to the overall
importance of language as a determinant of immigrant success and general health
and safety reasons. CLB 4 is considered basic proficiency while those with CLB
5 can more effectively participate in, and understand, routine conversations.

Other
criteria include: a valid offer of employment in Canada or a certificate of
qualification from a province or territory in a qualifying skilled trade; at
least two years of work experience in the occupation within the last five
years; and meeting the employment requirements set out in the National
Occupational Classification system, with the exception of licensing
requirements, which are addressed separately.

“The
Federal Skilled Trades Program is yet another tool in the Canadian employer’s
toolkit to find the workers they need to build Canada’s future economy,” said
Minister Kenney. “This new program, along with all other changes we are
introducing, will help us move towards an immigration system that better
supports Canada’s economic growth and long-term prosperity.”