No more than 5,000 complete federal skilled trade applications will be accepted for processing as of May 1, 2014. These are the last applications Immigration Canada will accept under the current system before Express Entry launches in January 2015.

Within the 5,000 cap, no more than 100 new applications for each job will be considered for processing.

To apply for skilled trade program the applicant should:

• Decide if he/she wants to apply for the province of Quebec, or other provinces (Quebec has its own skilled trade program – there is a separate application process for the province of Quebec)
• Meet the required levels in English, or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening),
• Have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) * in the skilled trade they want to apply for, the applicant should have this work experience in past five years,
• Meets all job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• Has an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year, or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a provincial or territorial body. Only provinces and territories can issue certificates of qualification in the skilled trades. A valid offer has to be for full-time work (minimum of 30/week) over a period of at least one year, and it can be from up to two employers. Depending on the case requirement for valid job offer are different.

If the applicant is working in Canada now:

• They must be working for an employer listed on their work permit
• They mush have a full time job offer from their current employer for the same type that is on their work permit, if they are accepted as a federal skilled trades worker
• They must be authorized to work in Canada on the day they apply for a permanent resident visa.

In addition:

• The applicants work permit must have been issued by CIC based on a positive labour market opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)
• Or, the applicant is currently working in Canada in a job that is exempt from the labour market opinion requirement under an international agreement (e.g. North America Free Trade Agreement) or a significant benefit category (e.g. intra-company transferee).

In all other cases:

• They must be working for an employer listed on their work permit.
• They mush have a full time job offer from their current employer for the same type that is on their work permit, if they are accepted as a federal skilled trades worker.
• They must be authorized to work in Canada on the day they apply for a permanent resident visa.

Language
The applicant must prove their ability in English or French in the following four areas:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

The applicant must meet the minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing.

Also check Federal Skilled Worker Program