Canada will begin taking applications Nov. 16 for a $5,000 bonus for eligible Red Seal tradespeople, with the government projecting more than 1.4 million skilled-trades openings from 2024 to 2033.
Journeypersons may qualify if they finished an apprenticeship and earned Red Seal certification for a designated trade on or after April 1, 2025. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons and cannot be attending high school.
The bonus is part of the federal government’s $8 billion Team Canada Strong initiative, a five-year effort aimed at bringing 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal workers into the workforce. The government says the projected openings include jobs connected to homebuilding, transit expansion and energy infrastructure.
Applicants will need a Social Insurance Number (SIN), mailing address and banking information for direct deposit. They must also provide the trade name, certification date, province or territory where they earned certification, and apprentice identification number. An email address is optional but recommended. Permanent residents whose SIN begins with 9 and protected persons must also provide proof of their status in Canada. Depending on the province or territory of certification, additional documents may be required.
Required documents are due within 28 calendar days of starting an application. Applicants who miss that deadline must submit a new application. Those certified from April 1, 2025, through Nov. 15, 2026, must apply by May 31, 2027. For certifications dated Nov. 16, 2026, or later, the government must receive the application within 12 months of certification.
Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu, who is also responsible for Northern Ontario’s Federal Economic Development Agency, encouraged eligible workers to prepare before applications open. She said the bonus is meant to recognize the effort involved in earning certification, encourage apprentices to complete their training and help young people as they begin their careers.
Alongside Team Canada Strong, the federal government provides nearly $1 billion annually for apprentices through loans, tax credits and deductions, project funding, Employment Insurance benefits and Red Seal Program assistance. The application portal is scheduled to open Nov. 16, 2026.
