Choosing a NOC code for Express Entry based on your actual duties

National Classification of Occupations of Canada. It is needed by government agencies, including IRCC, to classify different types of work equally.

Each occupation group in NOC 2021 has a five-digit number. For example, this is the code that is indicated in the Express Entry profile for the corresponding period of work.

The number itself does not prove anything. It is important that the description behind this number really matches your work.

Each NOC is assigned a TEER grade from 0 to 5. The acronym stands for training, education, experience and responsibilities. The category describes the typical requirements for the profession.

TEER is not a rating of you personally and not a “level of professionalism.” This is a characteristic of the group of professions in the classification.

The NOC profile has several parts: general description, example job titles, essential responsibilities, normal job requirements, and exceptions.

To select a code, it is especially important to read not only the title, but also the entire description of the work.

First, check the general meaning of the profession: what kind of work do people in this group do and where they usually work.

This is the main section for comparison with real work. Look not at a single beautiful formulation, but at the work as a whole.

They help you notice a related profession that actually describes your job more accurately.

The section “Requirements for the profession” (in the English card - employment requirements) describes the usual requirements for the profession. It should not be automatically assumed to be the same mandatory immigration list for any Express Entry program.

For example, for the federal skilled trades (FST) program, occupation-specific requirements have a separate meaning. For other programs, the rules for checking experience are formulated differently.

If you expect to qualify for FSW, the experience by which you meet the minimum program requirement must be from the same NOC you select as your primary occupation for your immigration profile.

However, your main profession does not have to be your most recent job.

That is, choosing it only because this particular position is listed for you now is wrong.

For CEC, eligible Canadian experience may be obtained in more than one NOC, as long as each qualifying period and the experience as a whole meets program requirements.

Therefore, there is no need to always try to reduce your entire career to one code.

In some Express Entry rounds, the state separately invites candidates with experience in certain professions.

For these rounds, the relevant experience does not always have to be the same as your chosen major. But the list of occupations, required period of experience and other category conditions change, so they need to be checked against the current IRCC page at the time of participation.

This happens after an internal promotion or role expansion. If actual work has changed markedly, different periods should be analyzed separately, rather than automatically leaving one NOC for the entire period of work.

The opposite situation is also possible. An employer can change the job title without changing the nature of the job. The new name itself does not mean a new NOC.

There is no need to select a code based on one convenient item. See which group best describes the overall operation, and be sure to check adjacent codes and exceptions.

If the role was truly mixed, a more detailed analysis of the periods and supporting documents may be necessary.

Different NOCs may well be used for different periods. Express Entry does not require that a person's entire work history must always be in one occupation.

It is important to separately understand which period you are using for program requirements, which affects the CRS, and which periods you are simply reflecting in the work history.

Documents should allow you to understand when you worked in this position and when the role changed, if any.

This is especially important for NOCs. A letter that contains only a job title without a job description provides much less information to support the classification.

For immigration programs, it matters how much and how you worked. This information must also be consistent with what is stated in the profile and application.

For many Express Entry requirements, gainful employment is considered. Documents must confirm the nature of employment to the extent necessary for your business.

Depending on the situation, a contract, payslips, tax documents and other materials may be used to help confirm the facts of the work.

The employer's name may be domestic, international, or simply too generic. Without checking responsibilities, this is not enough.

A higher number or more “prestigious” name does not make the code any better if it is less descriptive of your actual work.

Documents must reflect actual work. Mechanical copying of official wording does not correct the inconsistency with the facts and may create additional questions.

This is where there is often a nearby profession that better explains your job.

Positions, duties and levels of responsibility may vary. Different periods of work may refer to different codes.

Just because an occupation is currently participating in a separate Express Entry category does not mean that it is possible to use that NOC without the job actually matching the official description.