Fiber laser welding has been developed for precise welding of small and complicate components assembled on the nuclear fuel irradiation test rig. In this research, laser welding characteristics of STS316L, the main material of nuclear fuel test rig, have been studied. Several welding experiments were carried out in lap welding of the tube and the end cap made of STS316L. Process variables such as non-focal length, shield gas, laser frequency and power are optimized and compared with the results of Zircaloy-4.