Tradespeople: How Electricians, Plumbers, and Welders Can Migrate to Australia or Canada

Imagine you are an electrician in Lagos. You are good at your work. When the power goes off, the whole street calls your number. But the jobs pay late, the prices at the market keep rising, and your savings never seem to grow.

Your cousin moved to Alberta four years ago. He does the same work you do. He sends photos of a house with a garden, and a truck with his name on the side.

Could that be you? For a skilled tradesperson, often yes.

The short answer: Australia and Canada both have long-term shortages of electricians, plumbers, welders and other trades, and both run visa routes built for you. In Australia, you get assessed (usually by Trades Recognition Australia), then apply for a points-tested or sponsored visa. In Canada, a province recognises your trade, and trades-only Express Entry draws have lower cut-offs. In both, licensing is a separate step after you land.

Why tradespeople are in such high demand

The shortage is structural. Many tradespeople are near retirement, and apprenticeships have not kept up. Both governments have committed to multi-year, multi-billion-dollar programmes in housing, transport, energy, water and defence. Australia's National Housing Accord targets 1.2 million new homes over five years. Canada's federal housing plan targets several million extra homes this decade. And the energy transition needs electricians, welders and fitters everywhere.

Australia: the path for tradespeople

Step 1: skills assessment

For most trades, your qualifications are assessed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), through its Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) or Migration Skills Assessment (MSA), depending on the job.

Think of it as a translation. Your certificate is written in your country's "language" of standards. TRA translates it into Australia's, and checks that your hands can do what the paper says. Expect a document check, often a video interview, and for many trades a practical test at an approved venue, in Australia or offshore.

What you usually need (as of 2026): a relevant trade qualification, typically at least 3 years of relevant work after qualifying, proof of current skill, and translations by a NAATI-accredited translator for documents not in English.

TRA fees generally run into the low thousands of Australian dollars once the practical test is included. Several months is normal. Engineers Australia covers engineering technologists and associates, and VETASSESS covers trade jobs TRA does not.

Step 2: licensing, the step people forget

A good assessment gets you a visa. It does not let you pick up the tools. Licensing is run by each state and territory, separately from immigration.

• Electricians need a licence from the state regulator, such as Energy Safe Victoria, NSW Fair Trading or the Queensland Electrical Safety Office. Most complete an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR) through TRA, then gap training and a final licensing (capstone) assessment. This is the main reason skilled electricians land and cannot earn full rate straight away.
• Plumbers usually do a bridging course on Australian plumbing and gas-fitting codes before registering.
• Welders generally need no state licence, but many jobs need AS/NZS welding certification, and safety-critical work needs project-specific tests.

Check your state's rules before you fly, so the licensing clock starts the day you land.

Step 3: choose your visa

Subclass 189: Skilled Independent (points-tested)

• Permanent residence from day one, with no employer or state needed. Electricians, plumbers and welders are on the eligible lists.
• Points come from age (the peak band is roughly 25 to 32), English, experience and qualifications. Places are limited, so trades often move faster on a state or regional visa.

Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated

• Like the 189, but a state or territory nominates you, adding 5 points. A trade wanted in South Australia may be off the list in New South Wales, so pick your state on purpose.

Subclass 491: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)

• A 5-year visa for regional Australia, which now means everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
• Adds 15 points, the biggest single boost most trades applicants can get.
• After 3 years living and working regionally, and meeting an income test, you move to permanent residence through the subclass 191. Regional rounds are far less crowded than the 189 pool.

Subclass 482: Skills in Demand (employer-sponsored, temporary)

• On 7 December 2024, the Temporary Skill Shortage visa became the Skills in Demand (SID) visa. The number stayed 482. Its single Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) covers most construction and mechanical trades.
• Most tradespeople use the Core Skills stream. Your salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold: A$79,423 for nominations from 1 July 2026 (up from A$76,515), indexed each 1 July (Home Affairs).
• It lasts up to 4 years, lets you change approved sponsors, and leads to permanent residence through the subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) after a qualifying period.

Where the work and pay are in Australia

• Western Australia: mining needs electricians, welders, fitters and diesel mechanics. Remote fly-in-fly-out roles can pay over A$150,000, and WA actively nominates trades.
• Queensland: a long project pipeline, including building ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• South Australia: the AUKUS submarine programme in Adelaide will need thousands of welders, fabricators and fitters.
• Northern Territory and Tasmania: mining, defence and public works in the NT; growing construction and lower living costs in Tasmania.

For the bigger picture, see our Australia migration overview and the Australia arrival guide.

Canada: the path for tradespeople

Step 1: trade certification and the Red Seal

Canada has no single national assessor like TRA. Each province certifies trades. The Red Seal Program ties them together. It works like a passport for your trade: once you hold it, you can work across provinces without re-certifying each time.

Contact the apprenticeship authority in your target province, such as Skilled Trades Ontario, SkilledTradesBC or Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training, and send your qualifications and detailed employment letters. In most provinces you can then challenge the journeyperson (and Red Seal) exam directly, without redoing an apprenticeship. Pass, and you get a provincial Certificate of Qualification, plus the Red Seal if your trade has one.

• Provinces usually want 6,000 to 9,000 documented hours, depending on the trade, before you can challenge the exam. Some people also need gap training.
• Electrical and plumbing are compulsory trades in every province. No certificate, no work.
• Welding is often certified per project and per code, to Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) standards.

One smart move: a Certificate of Qualification from a Canadian province can itself meet the federal trades stream's requirement, even with no job offer. So get assessed early.

Step 2: choose your immigration route

Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades (FST)

FST is the federal stream built for tradespeople. It runs inside Express Entry. You need:

• At least 2 years of full-time (or equal part-time) trades work in the last 5 years.
• To meet the duties for your trade in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC). Trades sit in TEER categories 2 and 3.
• Language: only CLB 5 in speaking and listening and CLB 4 in reading and writing. That is much lower than the Federal Skilled Worker stream.
• Either a valid job offer of at least one year, or a Canadian provincial or territorial certificate of qualification.

The big change in 2026: IRCC now runs trades-only draws with lower scores than general rounds. On 2 April 2026, IRCC invited 3,000 trades candidates with a CRS cut-off of 477, well below usual general cut-offs, and lower than STEM or healthcare draws. Keep your profile active. This is where most trades candidates now get invited.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

For many tradespeople, this is the strongest route. BC PNP has a skilled-trades path with faster handling for priority jobs. Ontario's OINP Skilled Trades stream picks trades straight from the Express Entry pool. Alberta (AAIP), Saskatchewan (SINP) and Manitoba (MPNP) target construction, energy and resource trades. The Atlantic Immigration Program (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) is often simpler if you have a job offer.

An enhanced PNP nomination adds 600 points to your CRS, which almost guarantees an invitation. Overall PNP allocations were tightened for 2025 to 2026, so apply early and keep your papers tidy.

Work permits through a job offer

With an offer but no PR eligibility yet, your employer can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and you get a work permit tied to that employer. That Canadian work then counts towards Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class or FST) or a PNP.

Where the work and pay are in Canada

• Alberta: energy and home building. Red Seal electricians commonly earn CAD 90,000 to 120,000+, more on shutdown and remote work.
• British Columbia: Metro Vancouver construction plus the LNG Canada project in Kitimat.
• Ontario: the biggest job market, with major Toronto-area transit projects.
• Atlantic provinces: lower wages on paper, but lower living costs, so your money goes further.
• The territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut): remote work, often 20 to 40% above southern pay.

For more, see our Canada migration overview and the Canada arrival guide.

Australia vs Canada: quick comparison

How do you choose? Ask what matters most to your family. Higher pay in the heat, or lower cut-offs and snowy winters?

A realistic timeline and budget

A trades move usually takes 12 to 24 months from first paperwork to landing. It is like building a house: the foundation takes longest, and nothing else starts until it is done.

1. Months 0 to 2: gather documents, sit your English test, ask for detailed employment letters.
2. Months 2 to 8: skills assessment (TRA) or provincial certification (Canada). This is the slowest step, so start it first.
3. Months 6 to 12: submit your Express Entry profile or state/PNP expression of interest. Look for job offers if your stream needs one.
4. Months 10 to 20: get an invitation or nomination, then lodge the visa or PR application.
5. After arrival: finish licensing. Electricians and plumbers especially should budget for gap training before working at full rate.

English tests, assessments, translations, medicals, police checks and government fees commonly reach several thousand dollars per applicant in each country, before moving and licensing costs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a job offer to migrate as a tradesperson?

Not always. Australia's 189 and 491 and Canada's FST can work without one, if you have the right assessment or a Canadian certificate of qualification. Employer routes (Australia's 482, Canada's LMIA work permits) need an offer, but often move faster.

My English is not strong. Am I locked out?

No. Trades streams have the lowest language bars in skilled migration. Canada's FST accepts CLB 4 to 5. Australia's trades visas generally need Competent English (around IELTS 6.0 per band). A higher score still adds points.

Will my qualification be recognised, or do I start over?

You rarely start from zero. TRA matches your qualification and experience to the Australian standard. Canadian provinces let experienced tradespeople challenge the journeyperson exam directly. The usual result is some targeted gap training, not a full new apprenticeship.

Can I bring my family?

Yes. Both countries' skilled routes include your partner and dependent children, who can work and study. In some streams, your partner's skills and English add points.

Australia or Canada: which is better for trades?

Australia often pays more in mining and regional work, and has one national assessor. Canada has trades-only draws with low cut-offs and strong provincial routes. See our Australia and Canada overviews.

Start this month

1. Gather your papers: trade certificates, apprenticeship records, and employment letters describing your real daily duties.
2. Book IELTS or PTE. Even where the bar is low, a higher score helps.
3. Start the skills assessment: TRA for Australia, the provincial authority for Canada. Everything else waits on it.
4. Search for jobs at the same time: Seek and Jora for Australia, Job Bank and Indeed Canada for Canada.

Your skills are wanted. The paperwork is the hard part, and you do not have to do it alone.