Germans young enough for International Experience Canada (IEC), Canada's work permit programme for young people from partner countries, can take part twice under Germany's agreement, in a different category each time, such as a Working Holiday without a job offer and later a Young Professionals permit for a job in their field. Paid skilled work on either can count toward the Canadian Experience Class, the permanent residence programme for skilled workers with Canadian experience, within Express Entry, the online system that ranks candidates by points and invites the highest-ranked to apply. Express Entry also holds rounds for trade occupations such as electricians, plumbers and carpenters, open to eligible candidates with recent experience in a listed trade, gained in Canada or abroad.

Start with the educational credential assessment, the report on what your German education equals in Canada. For an apprenticeship, WES, one of the assessors designated by IRCC (Canada's immigration department), asks for the examining body's final certificate (Prüfungszeugnis) and the vocational school's final and yearly reports, sent electronically or sealed by the issuer. The police certificate, needed for permanent residence and, in most cases, for an IEC work permit too, is the Führungszeugnis (certificate of good conduct) from the Federal Office of Justice. IRCC notes that those issued since February 2019 need no translation, being in German, English and French, and that the certificate is mailed to your home address, even abroad, and cannot be sent to a third party.

The mistake to avoid is treating a German journeyman's or master craftsman's certificate (Gesellenbrief or Meisterbrief) as the trade certificate Canada asks for. The Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Express Entry programme for tradespeople, requires a qualifying job offer or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province, territory or federal authority. That certificate comes only after the authority assesses your training and experience, which may mean going to that province, and you pass its certification exam. Contact the body that governs your trade where you plan to live before counting on this route.