Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander was on hand to formally congratulate one of the new permanent residents, an Irish citizen named Eric Byrne. My. Byrne, who now works as a plumber in Ontario, praised the program and Canada as a whole.

“Canada is a great country and the people here have been exceptionally warm and welcoming,” he said. “I am very pleased that I qualified for the Federal Skilled Trades Program as it recognizes the value of my skill set and has allowed me to stay in Canada and integrate seamlessly into my new status as a permanent resident.”

Another successful applicant was welcomed at the same time in Calgary, by Social Development Minister Jason Kenney. The applicant, Paul Lyttle, is now an electrician working in the city.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program was created with the aim of attracting tradespersons whose valuable skills don’t always fit well into other immigration program such as that for Federal Skilled Workers. It was launched in January 2013, and has since granted permanent residency to applicants from Ireland, India, Lithuania, Latvia and Germany.