The NOC (National Occupation Classification) is a classification for all occupations in Canada.
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The NOC codes are important information to determine if you are eligible for the Express Entry pathways. Since it is a state publication, the list is available in both French and English. You can use the NOC whether you have a direct or indirect relationship with the job market. These includes:
students
workers
employers
Or any organizations that specialize in education and/or training.
The NOC codes are five-digit numbers assigned to all occupations available in the Canadian job market. Last year, there was a change in the classification. However, what does that mean? How will it affect prospective PR applicants and international students?
This is what we will explain down below.
Understanding NOC Codes Version 2021
The first thing to know about the NOC codes version 2021 is that they are 5 digits long. Secondly, along with the additional digit sequences, the IRCC changed the Skill levels to TEER categories. TEER stands for Training Education Experience and Responsibilities. The new 5-digit NOC codes have a specific order which is:
First digit represents the general group of occupation
Second digit corresponds to the TEER category of the occupation
Initial 2 digits are the major group
First 3 digits together represent the sub major group
Initial 4 digits are the minor group
All 5 digits represent the NOC code of the occupation
Different NOC TEER categories
The immigration office arranged the T.E.E.R categories to provide more options for emerging jobs. It is the perfect alternative to the overlapping job descriptions in the last NOC 2016. Therefore, the new NOC codes are more consistent with clearer job descriptions.
There are 6 TEER categories and they are:
TEER 0
This part includes jobs from the management team of any organization.
TEER 1
In this category, the jobs require that the candidate must have:
At least achieved a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate’s)
Gained several years of experience in a specific job occupation in T.E.E.R 2 (where applicable)
TEER 2
The TEER 2 category classifies jobs where you have:
Completed a 2 to 3 year tertiary education program at a community college, technical institute, or CÉGEP
Achieved an apprenticeship training program of 2 to 5 years
Been in public or civil service jobs like police officers or firefighters
Acquired several years of experience in a specific job from T.E.E.R 3 (where applicable)
TEER 3
Likewise, this category includes occupations where the applicant must have:
A post-secondary program of less than 2 years at a community college, institute of technology CÉGEP
An apprenticeship training of less than 24 months
More than half a year of on-the-job training
Completed a training course or specific work experience with some secondary education
Accumulated several years of experience in a particular job in T.E.E.R 4 (where applicable)
TEER 4
The occupations grouped in TEER 4 require you to have:
Finished your secondary school education
Numerous weeks of on-the-job training and a certain amount of secondary school education
Several years of experience in a specific job in T.E.E.R 5 (where applicable)
TEER 5
Similarly, this final category includes jobs where you do not need to have any formal education or any type of training. For example, cleaners or fruit pickers.
What Is The Difference Between NOC Codes 2016 And NOC Codes 2021?
There are several changes that occurred with the new NOC 2021. Aside from the introduction of the T.E.E.R system of categorization, the new 2021 NOC differs as follows:
The NOC 2021 has 516 unit group compared to the 500 of the NOC 2016.
Emerging professions have new NOC codes allocated to them, such as data scientists.
Some professions are now significant enough to put them into their very own unit groups. These include Financial advisers and Police Investigators, among others.
The IRCC created three clear unit groups for Software Developers and Programmers.
Finally, there are certain sectors in the economy that have updated their classification. These are the health and agricultural sector, the postal service and the military occupations.
Comparison Analysis - Some examples
While the main difference is the new categorization of NOC codes, it is not the only change in the NOC 2021. One of the biggest changes is the search for 2021 NOC codes. There were fewer skill categories to search for in the 2016 database. While it may seem simpler at first glance, finding the NOC code was quite the opposite in practice.
For instance, you have to search for the job of sales manager. If you don't know your NOC code, you would have to browse through several duplicating skill categories and subcategories. It could lead to wasting a lot of time in the process.
Most importantly, it was difficult to identify the correct NOC codes for your job offer. The overlapping of duties among several job descriptions made it difficult to choose the correct one.
However, with the NOC 2021, you only need a few clicks to find the codes easily because:
There is more distinction between each category to make things clearer
Each category has less overlapping information
How We Can Help
If you are living abroad, it can be overwhelming for anyone to search for information in the NOC. This is due to some differences in job duties in Canada and your country.
However, there is no need to panic if you are still feeling confused after reading the article. Our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are just one phone call away to answer all your queries.
We provide help through online consultations where we:
guide you
plan your studies in Canada
answer questions about immigration
check out your NOC code
certify whether you are eligible for certain state or provincial immigration plans and many other things.
A Cautionary Note: The foregoing provides only an overview and does not constitute legal advice. Readers are cautioned against making any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, specific legal advice should be obtained, and the readers are asked to refer to the government website for the most updated information.
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