Electricians, plumbers, welders and other skilled tradespeople are among the most in-demand workers for immigration — and often overlooked by applicants who focus only on degree-based routes.
The FSTP is a dedicated Express Entry stream for qualified tradespeople. No minimum education requirement — just 2 years of full-time work experience in a qualifying trade + language requirements. Trades category draws have CRS cutoffs as low as 350–430.
| Trade | NOC Code | Demand Level |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 72200–72203 | Very High |
| Plumbers | 72300 | Very High |
| Welders | 72106 | High |
| Carpenters | 72310 | High |
| Heavy Equipment Operators | 73400 | High |
| Construction Managers | 70010 | Moderate |
Skilled tradespeople are priority occupations in most Australian states. State nomination (190) adds 5 points; regional nomination (491) adds 15 points — both put tradespeople above the invitation threshold. VETASSESS or TRA assessment required.
Many skilled trades appear on the UK shortage occupation list — meaning lower salary thresholds and priority processing. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC engineers are particularly in demand.