Applications open November 16 for $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus

The Government of Canada will begin accepting applications on November 16, 2026, for a $5,000 bonus for eligible workers who complete an apprenticeship and obtain certification in a designated Red Seal trade.

The bonus is part of the federal government’s $8-billion Team Canada Strong initiative, which aims to recruit, train and hire between 80,000 and 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over the next five years.

Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu is encouraging eligible applicants to prepare their documents before the application portal opens.

To qualify, applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons and must not currently be attending high school. They must have completed an apprenticeship and obtained certification in a designated Red Seal trade on or after April 1, 2025.

Applicants should prepare their Social Insurance Number (SIN), mailing address, banking details for direct deposit, trade name, certification date, province or territory of certification and apprentice identification number. An email address is optional but recommended. Some applicants may also need to provide proof of their status in Canada or additional documents, depending on where they obtained certification.

“There are good jobs waiting in the Red Seal trades, and not enough certified workers to fill them,” Hajdu said. She added that the completion bonus is intended to recognize apprentices’ efforts and help them as they begin their careers.

The government estimates that Canada will have more than 1.4 million job openings in the skilled trades between 2024 and 2033, including positions related to homebuilding, transit expansion and energy infrastructure.

Applicants whose certification dates fall between April 1, 2025, and November 15, 2026, must apply by May 31, 2027. Those certified on or after November 16, 2026, must submit their applications within 12 months of their certification date.

All required supporting documents must be submitted within 28 calendar days of starting an application. Otherwise, applicants will need to submit a new application.

The federal government also provides nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support through loans, project funding, tax credits and deductions, Employment Insurance benefits and the Red Seal Program.

More information about eligibility and the application process is available at Canada.ca/skilled-trades.