Last Updated:March 4, 2025
What is the Skilled Trades Stream?
This stream gives foreign nationals with Ontario work experience in eligible skilled trades the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario. Express Entry is required.
Eligibility requirements for the Skilled Trades Stream
Work experience
- You must have worked in an occupation that falls under one of Ontario’s Major Groups as classified in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. You must have accumulated at least one year of full-time work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work).
- Full-time work experience means working in a job with at least 30 hours of paid work in a week that amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in one year.
- Part‑time equivalent work experience means:
- working in one job for at least 15 hours per week for two years that amounts to at least 1,560 hours in that two-year period, or
- working in more than one job for at least 30 hours per week for one year that amounts to at least 1,560 hours of paid work in that one-year period.
- You must have a valid Certificate of Qualification issued by the provincial government.
Eligible Occupations
| Major Group 72 | Technical trades and transportation officers and controllers (excluding “Transportation officers and controllers” in Sub‑Major Group 726) |
|---|---|
| Major Group 73 | General trades |
| Major Group 82 | Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production |
| Major Group 83 | Occupations in natural resources and related production |
| Major Group 92 | Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and utilities operators and controllers |
| Major Group 93 | Central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors (excluding Sub‑Major Group 932: Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors) |
| Minor Group 6320 | Cooks, butchers and bakers |
Language Proficiency
The applicant must have achieved a CLB 5 or higher on an approved English or French language test, taken within two years of their application.
| Test | Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB5 | IELTS (アイエルツ) | English | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CELPIP (セルピップ) | English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| PTE Core | English | 42-50 | 51-59 | 39-49 | 51-58 | |
| TEF Tests taken on or after December 11, 2023 |
French | 352-392 | 330-378 | 352-392 | 387-421 | |
| TEF Tests taken between October 1, 2019 and December 10, 2023 |
French | 350-399 | 350-399 | 350-399 | 350-399 | |
| TCF | French | 375-405 | 6.0 | 369-397 | 6.0 |
Job offer
- Not required
Settlement funds
You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members when you settle in Canada. However, this requirement is waived if you have a valid job offer and are legally authorized to work.
| Number of family members | Required funds (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $13,757 |
| 2 | $17,127 |
| 3 | $21,055 |
| 4 | $25,564 |
| 5 | $28,994 |
| 6 | $32,700 |
| 7 | $36,407 |
| For families of 7 or more | An additional $3,706 is required for each extra family member. |
Legal status in Canada
If you are applying from within Canada, you must have legal status (a visitor record, study permit, or work permit) at the time you apply and should maintain that status until the time of nomination. However, this requirement does not apply if the application is being made from outside Canada.
Intention to live in Ontario
You must be living in Ontario and hold a valid work permit at the time you apply.
In this category, receiving a nomination from the Ontario provincial government to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) significantly increases the chances of obtaining permanent residence, making it almost certain once nominated by the province.
Application process of the Human Capital Priorities Stream
01Register for Express Entry
Once you meet the eligibility requirements, register your profile online through Express Entry. In your profile, set your intended province of residence as “Ontario” or “All Provinces” and obtain your profile number.
02Issuance of Notification of Interest (NOI)
Applicants who are registered in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Express Entry system and meet the other eligibility requirements will receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from Ontario. This notice indicates that Ontario is interested in the candidate.
03OINP online application
After receiving the Notification of Interest (NOI), the applicant must complete the OINP online application within 45 days. The profile and other required details must be registered in the OINP e-Filing Portal within 14 days. The application fee of $1,500 must be paid online.
04Receive a nomination from the province
Once the review at the OINP processing office is complete, the applicant will receive the results. Passing the review is referred to as being nominated.
05Update profile
Once nominated by the province, you need to update your nomination in the IRCC Express Entry system. This update will add 600 points to your profile.
06Receive an Invitation To Apply (ITA) from IRCC
An ITA is the right to submit a permanent residence application, and only after receiving the ITA can you submit your application. IRCC conducts regular selections called “drawings,” where ITAs are issued to candidates with the highest points in the pool. If you do not receive an ITA, you will remain in the selection pool for up to one year.
07Submit a permanent residence application to IRCC
If the applicant has received an ITA, they must submit their permanent residency application to IRCC by mail within 60 days of receiving the nomination.
08Review by IRCC
After the review is completed by IRCC, the applicant will receive a letter called the Confirmation of Permanent Resident (CoPR).
09Landing
Applicants from outside Canada will enter Canada with their Confirmation of Permanent Resident (CoPR). Applicants from within Canada can complete the landing process online.
10Receive your Permanent Resident (PR) card
Your PR card will be delivered to the designated address within Canada within a few months.
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