What is a Certificate of Qualification (CoQ)?

A certificate of qualification proves that a person is qualified to work in a certain skilled trade, that is, they have passed a certification exam and meet all the requirements to practice their trade in that province or territory. Depending on the province or territory, this certificate is called a “certificate of qualification” or a “qualification certificate”.

What role does CoQ play under Express Entry?

To be awarded skill transferability factor Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for a CoQ in a trade occupation, the certificate must be issued by the body that governs trades in a province or territory.

A CoQ in eligible occupations along with strong official language proficiency can add 50 points to the Express Entry profile.

What are the eligible occupations that can claim points for a CoQ?

For the purposes of obtaining skill transferability factor CRS points for a certificate of qualification, only the following occupations listed in the National Occupational Classification are eligible:

Important Notes:

• As of Nov 6, 2023 NOCs for Truck drivers have been removed from the eligible list of occupations for COQ
• There are additional occupations eligible for skill transferability factor CRS points for a certificate of qualification that are not eligible for the purposes of meeting the eligibility requirements of the Federal Skilled Trades Class e.g. Plumbers must be certified in Poland before they may practice plumbing independently in that country. A plumber from Poland would need to show proof of their certification and demonstrate that they have at least 2 years of full-time experience in the last 5 years as a certified plumber in Poland.
• The applicant does not need to have work experience in the NOC as part of their application in order to be awarded CRS points for a certificate of qualification

Disclaimer : Information provided in this blog article cannot be deemed as legal advice.

Got Questions?