Why foreign trades workers are well-positioned to settle in Canada, despite recent immigration cuts
In 2025, Carney’s liberals have promised massive infrastructure investments, even as they’ve made cuts to both temporary and permanent residence (PR) programs that would provide skilled workers.
In Budget 2025, the government promised investments in infrastructure, including roads, pipelines, and ports, as well as residential housing.
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Given the ongoing shortage of skilled tradespeople and construction workers, and Canada's recent decline in population, this raises the question: Where will Canada find the workers to build this housing and infrastructure?
Carney’s building program and Budget 2025 highlight an opportunity for tradespeople and construction workers to gain a foothold in the Canadian labour market.
Foreign nationals looking to build a life in Canada as skilled tradespeople can take advantage of two routes to gain legal work authorization: work permits and PR pathways.
Work permits: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
To obtain a work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), a foreign national must submit an application with a job offer from an employer with a positive or neutral labour market impact assessment (LMIA).
Other than being qualified for the job and obtaining an LMIA-support job offer, a foreign national need only meet Canada’s general admissibility requirements, such as not having a criminal record, burdensome health conditions, or posing a risk to national security or public safety.
As of the time of writing, for an employer to obtain an LMIA, the job must either
- Be located in a region with less than 6% unemployment; or
- Pay at least 20% above the region’s median wage.
Permanent residence
Category-based draws through Express Entry
Foreign nationals eligible for an Express Entry-managed immigration program have an advantage if they meet the work experience requirement for one of the trades eligible for the Trade occupations category-based draw.
The following occupations are eligible for Trade occupation draws:
| 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 |
*Occupations that were added to Canada's Trades occupations category based selection list in 2025 have been bolded.
Most foreign nationals will qualify for Express Entry by meeting the requirements for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Some may qualify through the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), which requires either a certificate of qualification, or a valid job offer.
The main requirements consist of meeting the minimums for work experience, education, and official language proficiency. Foreign nationals outside Canada who don’t qualify for the CEC will also need to have adequate settlement funds.
To qualify for the Trade category, they’ll need at least six months full-time (or equivalent part-time) continuous work experience in a single eligible occupation within the past three years.
They must also meet Canada’s general admissibility requirements, and not have an inadmissible family member.
Provincial Nominee Programs
Trades is an in-demand sector among many of Canada’s provinces and territories.
To meet labour market needs, many provinces and territories have launched streams or pathways specifically for skilled trades workers.
Some examples are:
- Alberta’s Express Entry Stream prioritizes construction as an occupation to meet local labour market needs.
- Nova Scotia's Critical Construction Worker Pilot.
- Nova Scotia also announced that it would be moving to an Express of Interest system for its Provincial Nominee Program, and will prioritize certain sectors, construction and trades being among them.
Overall, PNPs can offer tradespeople a more direct route to PR—especially if they have a job offer, or ties to a specific province or territory.
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