Express Entry is prioritizing new trades: Do you qualify?
If you qualify for Express Entry’s new Trade category, you’re more likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.
On February 27, 2025, Canada made major changes to its Express Entry categories.
See your eligibility for all category based draws
The Trade occupations category was overhauled with a total of 19 occupations added, and four removed.
Eligible occupations under the new Trade category
In 2025, the Trade category expanded more than any other, with the highest number of new occupations added. It now includes a total of 25 occupations.
You can find the full list of occupations along with their corresponding National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes below, with the newly added occupations bolded.
Occupation2021 NOC code
Bricklayers72320
Cabinetmakers72311
Carpenters72310
Concrete finishers73100
Construction estimators22303
Construction managers70010
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics72400
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services82021
Cooks63200
Electrical mechanics72422
Electricians (except industrial and power system)72200
Floor covering installers73113
Gas fitters72302
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics72402
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics72401
Home building and renovation managers70011
Industrial electricians72201
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors72100
Other technical trades and related occupations72999
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)73112
Plumbers72300
Roofers and shinglers73110
Sheet metal workers72102
Water well drillers72501
Welders and related machine operators72106
Apprentices in these trades frequently perform the majority of the duties for the occupation, so apprentice jobs and work experience will generally count as the same occupation.
How do I know my occupation is eligible?
Provided that you meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, you can qualify for Trade category draw by having at least six months of full-time continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) within the past three years in a category-eligible occupation.
To see whether any of your jobs are eligible for the Trade category, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Visit the Government of Canada’s NOC site and use the “Filter items” search bar to find the NOC code(s) that best match(es) your work experience. Try keyword searching different title variations if needed.
Step 2: Verify each NOC code on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) site under the “Search by NOC Code” tab. Review the example lead statements and main duties. Your role must closely align with the lead statement and include a substantial number of listed duties to qualify.
Step 3: Check if your NOC code appears in the table above. If it does, your occupation is eligible under the Trade category.
The six months work experience must be within a single occupation; you cannot mix and match occupations (for example, by summing 2 months work experience in one eligible occupation, and 4 months’ work experience in another eligible occupation).
Alternate job titles for the newly-added Trade occupations
Here’s a look at the occupations that were added to the Trade category in February 2025. It also lists some alternate or example job titles of the eligible occupations.
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 servicesFracturing 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 mechanicsArmature 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 installersCarpet 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 mechanicsAgricultural 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 managersHome 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
How do Express Entry categories increase one’s chances of gaining Canadian permanent residence?
If you qualify for a category-based draw, you’re more likely to receive an invitation to apply for PR through Express Entry.
That’s because you can be invited in a category-based draw with a significantly lower CRS score than for a general or Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw.
For example, in 2024, the CRS cut-off for general draws ranged between 524 and 549.
However, in the same year, the CRS cut-off for Trade occupations ranged between 433 and 436.
This means that if you fall under an eligible category, such as the Trade occupations, your chances of receiving an invitation greatly improve, even with a lower CRS score.
