If you qualify for Express Entry’s new trade tier, you will likely receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in Canada.
On February 27, 2025, Canada made major changes to Express Entry categories.
See your eligibility for all category-based draws
The Business Occupations category was reformed by adding a total of 19 professions and removing four professions.
Eligible occupations under the new trade category
In 2025, the trade category expanded more than any other category, with the largest number of new occupations added. It now includes a total of 25 professions.
You can find the full list of occupations along with their corresponding National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes below, with newly added occupations shown in bold.
Occupation2021 NOC Code Masons72320 Cabinet Makers72311 Carpenters72310 Concrete Finishers73100 Construction Estimators22303 Construction Managers70010 Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics72400 Contractors, Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Services82021 Cooks63200 Electrical Mechanics72422 Electricians (excluding industrial 72200 Floor Covering Installers 73113 Gas Installers 72302 Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Mechanics 72402 Heavy Equipment Mechanics 72401 Home Construction and Renovation Managers 70011 Industrial Electricians 72201 Mechanics and Machinery and Tool Inspectors 72100 Other Technical and Related Professions 72999 Painters and Decorators (What (except interior designers) 73112 Plumbers 72300 Roofers and Shingles 73110 Sheet Metal Workers 72102 Water Well Drillers 72501 Welders and Related Machinery Operators 72106
Trainees in these occupations often perform the majority of the occupation’s duties, so trainees’ jobs and work experience are generally counted as the same occupation.
How do I know if my profession is eligible?
Provided you meet the minimum Express Entry criteria, you can qualify for the Trade Category draw by having at least six months of full-time continuous work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) within the past three years in a category-eligible occupation.
To find out if any of your jobs qualify for the Trade category, follow these steps:
Step 1: Visit the Government of Canada’s NOC website and use the “Filter Items” search bar to find the NOC code(s) that best matches your work experience. Try searching for keywords in different title variations if necessary.
Step 2: Check each NOC code on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) website under the “Search by NOC Code” tab. Review examples of key statements and key assignments. Your role must be closely aligned with the leader’s statement and include a significant number of duties listed to qualify.
Step 3: Check if your NOC code appears in the table above. If so, your occupation qualifies under the trade category.
Six months’ work experience must be within one occupation; You cannot mix and match occupations (for example, by combining 2 months of work experience in one eligible occupation, and 4 months of work experience in another eligible occupation).
Alternative job titles for newly added commercial professions
Here’s a look at the occupations that were added to the commerce category in February 2025. It also lists some alternative job titles or examples of eligible occupations.
NOC Occupation Title Example Job Titles Bricklayers Apprentice bricklayer
Construction
Refractory brick construction
stonecutter
building
Apprentice cabinet maker cabinet maker
Custom wood furniture maker
Furniture cabinet maker
Concrete finishing teacher – Cement finishing teacher
Cement construction
Concrete construction
Precast concrete finishing
Construction Estimators Senior Estimator – Construction
Cost Estimator – Construction
Principal Estimator – Construction
Professional quantity surveyor
Quantity Surveyor – Construction
Construction Managers Commercial Construction Manager
Construction project manager
Construction Supervisor
General contractor
Housing construction manager
Industrial construction manager
Pipeline construction manager
Residential construction manager
Contractors and Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Services, Fracking Supervisor
Multi-service operator – oilfield services
rig manager
Trainee chefs
Diet cook
First cooking
Cook the grill
Hospital cook
Institutional cook
Worker/woman cook
Licensed cook
Line cooker
Second cook
Short cook
Electrical mechanics – motor winding device repairman
Coil winder and reformer
Electrical motor systems technician
Electrical mechanic trainee
Electric rewind mechanic
Electrical transformer repairman
Industrial motor winding repairman
Electrical transformer repairman
Transformer repairman
Carpet layer floor covering installers
Floor covering
Proven trainee
Floor coverings mechanic
Hardwood flooring
Residential floor and wall covering installer
Resilient flooring installer
Vinyl flooring installation technician
Gas fitters trainee gas fitters
Gas server
Gas technician
Industrial gas testing device
Heavy Equipment Mechanic – Agricultural Equipment Technician
Construction equipment mechanic
Diesel Mechanic – Heavy Equipment
Agricultural equipment mechanic
Heavy equipment mechanic
Heavy mobile logging equipment mechanic
Heavy mobile mining equipment mechanic
Heavy equipment mechanic teacher
Heavy equipment technician
Locomotive mechanic
Tractor mechanic
Home Construction and Renovation Managers Home Builders
Home renovation contractor
Home repairman
Restoration contractor
Residential house contractor
Industrial electricians Industrial electricians
Marine electrician
Mill electrician
Mine electrician
Factories electrician
Factory maintenance electrical technician
Shipyard electrician
Mechanics and Inspectors of Machinery and Tools Auto Mechanic
Aviation mechanic
General mechanic
Machine shop inspector
Machinery parts inspector
Machinery inspector
mechanical
Mechanical trainee
Instrument inspector
Other technical and related occupations Aircraft model maker
Blacksmith
Commercial diver
Die setter
Explosive ordnance detector
Farrier
gunsmith
locksmith
Reclamation diver
Slope recovery
Safe maker
Experienced opinion
Small arms repairman
Tool maker
Underwater contractor
Vault repairman
Painters and Decorators (except Interior Designers) Construction Painter
Maintenance painter
Student painter and interior designer
Paper hanger
Roofers and shingles apprentice roofer
Asphalt roof
Built-in ceiling
Flat roof
Residential steep roof
Single layer roof
Sheet Metal Workers Trainee Sheet Metal Workers
Sheet metal manufacturer
Sheet metal mechanic
Tinsmith
Water Well Drilling Rig Cable Tools – Water Well Drilling
Foam drilling operator – water well drilling
Water well drilling teacher
How do Express Entry categories increase the chances of obtaining permanent residency in Canada?
If you qualify for the bracket draw, you will likely receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.
This is because you may be invited to participate in a category-based draw with a much lower CRS score than a general draw or a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw.
For example, in 2024, the CRS limit for general withdrawals ranged between 524 and 549.
However, in the same year, the tax reporting threshold for business occupations ranged between 433 and 436.
This means that if you fall into an eligible category, such as trade professions, your chances of receiving an invitation improve dramatically, even with a lower CRS score.
See your eligibility for all category-based draws
