New Trade Jobs Get Priority in Express Entry
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.
[table “85” not found /]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.
[table “86” not found /]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.
Get in touch with SPS Global
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).
