Ottawa, January 2, 2013 — 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 trades people 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 trades people 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.

No more than 3,000 complete federal skilled trade applications will be  processed  in the first year (from January 2, 2013 to January 1, 2014). Within the 3,000 cap, no more than 100 new applications for each job under Group A below will be considered for processing. There is no sub-cap for jobs under Group B. Group A includes 17 jobs with a moderate labour market need. Group B includes 26 in-demand jobs. In total, 43 jobs will be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Trades program in the first year of the program. The specific codes from the 2011 version of the NOC are provided below as you must include this in your application form. The caps apply whether or not people have a qualifying offer of employment or a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority. Applications will be processed in the order we receive them. read more.....

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." Application forms for the Federal Skilled Trades Program can be found on the CIC website.

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