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New Trade Jobs Get Priority in Express Entry
May 9, 2025
Ishita Soni
What Happened in February 2025?
On February 27, 2025, Canada made big changes to its immigration system through Express Entry. One of the most important updates was to the Trade occupations category.
19 new jobs were added, and 4 old ones were removed from the Trade category.
| 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 |
What’s the Trade Category?
The Trade category is a special group in Express Entry for people working in skilled trades — such as plumbers, electricians, and mechanics.
In 2025, this category grew more than any other, now including 25 occupations in total.
Why Does This Matter to You?
If your job is now on the updated list of eligible trade occupations, you may have a much better chance of getting invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence (PR).
This is especially helpful if your CRS score is not very high, because category-based draws usually require lower scores.
How Do I Know If My Job Is Eligible?
To find out if your job qualifies under the new Trade category, follow these 3 simple steps:
- Go to the Government of Canada’s NOC website. Use the search bar to type in your job title (or similar ones) to find the NOC code that matches your work experience.
- Double-check the NOC code on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) website. Make sure your job duties and description match the one listed.
- Compare the NOC code to the list of eligible occupations in the Trade category. If your job is listed, you’re eligible.
Remember: You must have at least 6 months of full-time (or equal part-time) experience in the same job within the last 3 years. You can’t mix different jobs together to meet this requirement.
What If I’m an Apprentice?
If you’re an apprentice in one of the trade occupations, your work usually counts the same as someone fully trained, as long as you’re doing the main duties of the job.
| 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 Is This a Big Advantage?
Express Entry sometimes holds category-based draws, like for Trade workers. These draws often have lower CRS score requirements than the regular ones.
For example:
- In 2024, general draws required scores between 524–549.
- But for Trade occupations, scores as low as 433–436 were enough!
So, if your job is in the Trade category, you have a much better chance of being invited to apply for PR — even if your score is lower.
Conclusion
In short, if you work in a trade and your job is now on the new list, this update can greatly improve your chances of moving to Canada permanently through Express Entry.
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Receive professional advice on any of your questions regarding Canadian immigration. get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Canada. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).
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