What kind of tradesmen are in demand?
Dear Miss Powell, I
READ your articles all the time as I like the advice you give about Canada. I used to live in Canada, but I’m retired now, so I returned to Jamaica. I have two grandsons here that are into trades. Would they qualify to go to Canada as self-sponsored individuals? They have enough savings to sponsor themselves. There is such a shortage of good tradesmen in Canada and I know they would do well there. What kind of tradesmen are in demand now? I still have a few relatives there that could help them to get a start. How can they qualify?
– Concerned Grandma
Dear Grandma,
There are several economic programmes through which many professionals and skilled trade personnel can self-sponsor and apply for permanent residence of Canada. Under the Federal Skilled Trade (FST) programme, applicants who qualify could be granted an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
In order to be eligible under the FST programme, individuals are required to prove that they have the following:
1. A valid job offer from up to two employers in Canada. The job offer must be for a minimum one-year duration OR a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial body.
2. Formal training from a college, hold a diploma, certificate or proof of apprenticeship training supported by an Educational Credential Assessment report.
3. Passed the language test to prove that they have proficiency in English or French. A minimum of Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing is required.
4. At least 24 months work experience in the particular trade, within the last five years, and this must be after receiving the required qualification/trade certification OR if they have received training and formal certification in their particular trade from a Canadian regulatory body, then they do not need to have a job offer in order to apply.
If your grandsons are under 45 years old, have formal training, a minimum of two years work experience in one of the trades listed below, then, they could be eligible to come to Canada.
You did not state specifically what trades your grandsons have. However, the government of Canada has been granting permanent residence to individuals with skilled work experience under the FST Class provided that fall into the following general skilled trades categories based on the following occupations:
1 . Industrial, electrical and construction trades
2. Maintenance and equipment operation trades.
3. Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control.
4. Chefs and cooks, or
5. Butchers and bakers.
If your grandsons have had formal training as skilled workers, the first step would be to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for education received outside of Canada. This can be done through the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS). This is a service being offered by the Province of Alberta. IQAS is designated by the government of Canada to provide (ECA) assessments for immigration purposes. An ECA issued by IQAS can be used for the Canadian Federal Skilled Worker Programme and is valid for five years. IQAS will assess your credentials and issue a certificate that compares credentials from other countries to educational standards in Canada.
The current cost of the evaluation is CDN$200 plus courier costs. The processing time is approximately 12 weeks after you have submitted the required documents. You will need to complete an online application, submit the fee and ensure that the required transcripts from your schools are submitted directly to them.
Most trades are regulated by individual provinces and some are regulated by the federal government of Canada. You can find out the details by visiting the website of the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (www.CICIC.ca). The key is to understand whether or not a trade is regulated and get certified in the particular province that they are interested in.
Grandma, the key to note is that the Federal Skilled Trade Class grants permanent residence to individuals with job offers or with the suitable certification to work in trade occupations in any province and territory, with the exception of Quebec. Quebec has its own rules regarding skilled trade workers. However, many individuals have been granted permanent residence of Canada under the category of Federal Skilled Trade Class and there is hope for them. The key is to ensure that they have the required documents to qualify.
If your grandsons are serious about moving to Canada and they have additional questions, tell them to contact a Canadian authorised immigration lawyer to assess their eligibility and provide them with more information.