The new National Occupation Classification (NOC) system for Canada’s immigration & work permit process went into effect on November 16th. It applies to all immigration programs administered by the Canada Express Entry System.
Profession requires applicants to enter a unique code for all programs, including federal, provincial, and work permits.
Candidates who applied before November 16 need not worry as they will be applying under the old NOC 2016 instead of the new NOC 2021.
Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and those with PNP transfers associated with Express Entry Use the new system, so those with a profile in the Express Entry pool will need to update it with the different code.
According to a ministerial guideline published at the end of February, express entry applies to jobs including nurses, bus and truck drivers, teaching assistants & dental assistants.
Some of the new professions added to the NOC are payroll clerk, dental assistant, bus driver, truck driver, nursing assistant, machine operator and more.
The changes to NOC 2021 mean that immigration and work permit applications will require a search for your occupation in the NOC 2021 list provided on the website of Employment and Social Development Canada.
IRCC is moving from classifying each occupation with a 4 digit number to a 5 digit code with the 2021 NOC.
To more accurately reflect the level of education, training, experience and responsibilities, or TEER, of each job, the 2021 NOC breaks down the skill level of each occupation in 6 categories within the new 5 digit code.
The new NOC TEER categories replace the old skill levels.
Broad occupational category, major groups, major subgroups, secondary groups and unit groups are the 5 hierarchical levels that make up the new NOC classification system.
Foreign nationals looking for their NOC code for a position simply need to visit the NOC website search page & enter their job title. Before selecting the best match from the resulting list, ensure that the primary responsibilities listed match those of the position.
Users are encouraged to use another job title with tasks more closely related to their own if those tasks do not match.
Selecting the appropriate NOC code is one of the most important components of an immigration application, as it is a nationally recognized and standardized system used by the IRCC to assess the work experience of immigration applicants.
All applications submitted after the NOC redesign will be subject to the requirement that the applicant enter the correct and updated 5 digit NOC code.
Please note that the NOC system is reviewed and revised every 10 years to reflect unique changes in Canada’s economy & hiring requirements.
The Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) and Skilled Workers Immigration Program are administered by the federal and provincial governments respectively, so the NOC is critical to the country’s immigration system.
A temporary or immigrant foreign worker must meet the eligibility requirements of the NOC requirements for participation.
In November 2021, the federal government confirmed changes to the NOC system implemented in 2016. It will take almost a year as the government will likely give some time to update stakeholders on implementation and changes to be made later.
