How To Know If You Qualify For Express Entry’s Trade Category?

Canada made certain changes in their Express Entry categories. The Trade professions category was overhauled with a total of 19 professions added and four removed. Today, we will discuss how you can know if you qualify for Express Entry’s trade category.

So, let us begin!

Eligible Professions Under The New Trade Category

In 2025, the Trade category expanded more than any other, with the highest number of new professions added. It now includes a total of 25 professions.

Below is the complete list of professions, along with their corresponding National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes, with the newly added professions.

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

Apprentices in these trades frequently perform the majority of duties for the occupation, so apprentice jobs and work experience will generally count as the same occupation.

How To Know If An Applicant’s Occupation Is Eligible?

In order to know if you qualify for Express Entry’s Trade category, you must also know if your profession is eligible. Provided that you meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, you can qualify for the Trade category draw by having a minimum of six months of full-time continuous work experience within the past three years in a category-eligible profession.

To see whether any of your jobs are eligible for the Trade category, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit the Government of Canada’s NOC site and use the ‘Filter Items’ search bar to find the NOC code that best matches your work experience. Try keyword searching different title variations if needed.

Step 2: Verify each NOC code on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) site under the ‘Search by NOC Code’ tab. Review the example lead statements and main duties. Your role must closely align with the lead statement and include a substantial number of listed duties to qualify.

Step 3: Check if your NOC code appears in the table above. If it does, your profession is eligible under the Trade category.

The six-month work experience must be within a single profession – you cannot mix and match professions.

Alternate Job Titles For The Newly-Added Trade Occupations

Below is a look at the occupations that were added to the Trade category in February 2025. It also lists some alternate or example job titles of eligible occupations.

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

How Do Express Entry Categories Increase One’s Chances Of Gaining Canadian Permanent Residence?

In order to qualify for Express Entry’s Trade category, it is vital to know how such categories increase one’s chances of gaining permanent residence.

Well, if you qualify for a category-based draw, you are more likely to obtain an invitation to apply for PR via Express Entry.

That’s because you can be invited in a category-based draw with a significantly lower CRS score than for a general or Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

For instance, in 2024, the CRS cut-off for general draws ranged between 524 & 549.

However, in the same year, the CRS cut-off for Trade professions ranged between 433 & 436.

This implies that if you fall under an eligible category, such as the Trade professions, your chances of obtaining an invitation significantly improve, even with a lower CRS score.

MakeHomeCanada, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at [email protected].

How To Know If You Qualify For Express Entry’s Trade Category?