National Occupational Classification (NOC)

The National Occupation Classification, abbreviated to NOC, is the system for grouping occupations used to serve the Canadian immigration system.

What is the NOC?

NOC 2021 is the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), whichImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)andEmployment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)began using on 16 November 2022 to assess the occupations of applicants for permanent residence and work permits under skilled worker categories.

This version replaces earlier versions of the national occupational classification system, which IRCC had used since 1992 to classify and group occupations for immigration purposes. The change affects Express Entry as well as many other important immigration and work permit routes in Canada.

Immigration programmes affected by NOC 2021

NOC 2021 affects the eligibility criteria of the following 11 programmes:

• Express Entry:
  • The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
  • The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
  • The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
• The Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP)
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• The Caregiver programmes
• The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)
• The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot (AFIP)
• Construction workers who have lost valid residence status
• Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
• International Mobility Program (IMP)

NOC 2016 compared with NOC 2021 and the TEER system

One example of the change under NOC 2021 is that the old system (NOC 2016) required Express Entry candidates to hold work experience classified under skill types 0, A, B, C or D. The new NOC 2021 uses a 6-category system under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER).

The table below compares the NOC 2016 skill groups and levels with the NOC 2021 TEER categories and sets out the types of occupation, with examples, that fit each TEER category.

NOC 2016	NOC 2021	Occupation type	Examples
Skill type 0	TEER 0	Management occupations	Advertising, marketing and public relations managers; Financial managers
Skill level A	TEER 1	Occupations that usually require a university degree	Financial advisers; Software engineers
Skill level B	TEER 2	Occupations that usually require: a college diploma, vocational training of 2 years or more, or supervisory occupations	Computer network and web technicians; Medical laboratory technologists
Skill level B	TEER 3	Occupations that usually require: a college diploma, vocational training of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training	Bakers; Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
Skill level C	TEER 4	Occupations that usually require: a secondary school diploma, or several weeks of on-the-job training	Home child care providers; Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers
Skill level D	TEER 5	Occupations that usually need short work demonstration and no formal education	Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers; Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors

Search

NOC 2021 changes every occupation code from 4 digits to 5 digits.

Applicants can use the Government of Canada’s tool to find their NOC 2021 code and TEER category based on their job title. Search athere.

Changes to Express Entry eligibility

Express Entry is one of Canada’s main systems for bringing skilled immigrants to Canada. All 3 programmes within Express Entry see changes to their eligibility criteria under NOC 2021.

Eligibility criteria	The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)	The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
English or French language ability	CLB 7 for TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupations; CLB 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations.	CLB 7	CLB 5 for speaking and listening; CLB 4 for reading and writing.
Type/level of work experience	Canadian work experience in an occupation falling within one or more of the following TEER categories: TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2, or TEER 3.	Work experience in an occupation falling within one of the following TEER categories: TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2, or TEER 3.	Work experience in a skilled trade within the major groups of TEER 2 or TEER 3.
Amount of work experience	1 year in Canada within the past 3 years (may combine full-time or part-time work).	1 continuous year within the past 10 years (combining part-time, full-time or more than one job in the primary occupation).	2 years within the past 5 years (may combine full-time or part-time work).
Job offer	Not required.	Not required, but applicants may earn selection factor (FSW) points for a valid job offer.	A valid full-time job offer totalling at least one year, or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
Level of education	Not required.	Secondary education is required. Applicants may earn additional selection factor (FSW) points for post-secondary education.	Not required.

Occupations newly eligible for Express Entry

NOC 2021 has made the following 16 occupations eligible for the Express Entry system:

• Payroll administrators
• Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
• Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
• Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
• Sheriffs and bailiffs
• Correctional service officers
• By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
• Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
• Residential and commercial installers and servicers
• Pest controllers and fumigators
• Other repairers and servicers
• Transport truck drivers
• Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
• Heavy equipment operators
• Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors

Occupations no longer eligible for Express Entry

NOC 2021 has made the following 3 occupations no longer eligible for the Express Entry system:

• Other performers
• Programme leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness
• Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners

These 3 ineligible occupations remain eligible for other immigration routes with broader occupational criteria, such as certain streams of the 11 Provincial Nominee Programmes (PNP) across Canada.

Impact on CRS scores

Under NOC 2021, theComprehensive Ranking System (CRS)points awarded for “arranged employment” follow the updated skill type and level chart.

For instance, an applicant who previously received 50 points for “arranged employment” in skill type 0, A or B (NOC 2016) will still receive those points if their NOC code falls within TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 (NOC 2021).

Impact on the FSWP

Under NOC 2021, the points awarded for the selection factors of the Federal Skilled Worker Programme (FSWP) are updated.

For instance, an applicant who previously received 10 points for “arranged employment” in skill type 0, A or B (NOC 2016) will still receive those points for “arranged employment” in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 (NOC 2021).

Updating an Express Entry profile

Depending on the stage the applicant has reached in their Express Entry journey, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will require the applicant to do the following:

• Applicants who have not yet submitted an Express Entry profile but intend to do so on or after the date Canada moved away from NOC 2016 (16 November 2022) are required to find and enter their occupation code under NOC 2021 when completing their Express Entry profile.
• Applicants who have submitted a profile but have not yet received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) will need to update their submitted Express Entry profile once the move away from NOC 2016 formally takes effect. Express Entry candidates will need to search the NOC 2021 listing on the website of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and update their Express Entry profile with the new TEER category and five-digit occupation code under NOC 2021.
• Applicants who received an ITA before 16 November need only submit their Express Entry application using the NOC 2016 system (and the NOC code provided at the time the ITA was issued). In this case, the move to NOC 2021 can be disregarded.