Express Entry candidates

Today, IRCC is transitioning to the NOC 2021 system. Here’s what you should know before the change goes into effect. This change will affect eligibility for certain of Canada’s more than 100 immigration programs, including Express Entry.

Today, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will migrate to the 2021 version of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system, a shift that has been planned since the announcement on July 27.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

For example, whereas the present NOC system (NOC 2016) requires Express Entry candidates to have job experience categorized as NOC skill categories 0, A, or B, IRCC’s transition to NOC 2021 will include a transition to the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) system.

NOC 2016	NOC 2021
Skill Type 0	TEER 0
Skill Type A	TEER 1
Skill Type B	TEER 2
Skill Type B	TEER 3
Skill Type C	TEER 4
Skill Type D	TEER 5

Express Entry eligibility criteria for NOC 2021 have been updated

Eligibility criteria	Canadian Experience Class	Federal Skilled Worker Program	Federal Skilled Trades Program
English or French skills	CLB 7 for TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupations; CLB 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations 0	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 listed in one or more of these NOC TEER Categories: TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2, or TEER 3.	Work experience in an occupation listed in one of these NOC TEER Categories: TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2, or TEER 3.	Work experience in a skilled trade under key groups of TEER 2 or TEER 3.*
Amount of work experience	One year in Canada in the last three years (either combination of full-time or part-time work).	One year continuous within the last 10 years (combination of part-time, full-time or more than one job in your primary occupation).	Two years within the last five years (either combination of full-time or part-time work)
Job offer	Not required.	Not required but you can get selection criteria (FSW) points for having a valid job offer.	A valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
Education	Not required.	Secondary education is required. You can get more selection criteria (FSW) points for your post-secondary education.	Not required.

The following important TEER 2 and 3 groups are eligible for the FSTP: Major Group 72, technical trades; Major Group 73, general trades; Major Group 82, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture, and related production; Major Group 83, occupations in natural resources and related production; Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors.

Note: CLB stands for Canadian Language Benchmark

A keynote about the selection factor points for the FSWP

The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) scores for selection considerations will now follow the new Skill Type/Level chart released with the NOC 2021 system.

For example, if a candidate gets 10 points for arranged work in Skill Type/Level 0, A or B, they will receive the same number of points for arranged employment in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.

With the switch to NOC 2021, there will be changes to Express Entry’s occupational eligibility.

With the shift to NOC 2021, 16 jobs will become eligible for Express Entry for the first time, while three will become ineligible. The three newly disqualified vocations will continue to be eligible for programs with broader occupational eligibility requirements, such as some streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

16 newly express entry’s eligible occupations:

• 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
• Drivers of buses, subway cars, and other forms of public transportation
• Heavy equipment operators
• Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors

Three newly ineligible occupations:

• Other performers
• Recreational, athletic, and fitness program coordinators and teachers
• Tailors, dressmakers, furriers, and milliners

On the CRS, the transition to NOC 2021 will have an impact.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points awarded for arranged employment will now follow the updated Skill Type/Level chart introduced with the NOC 2021 system, similar to the changes described above for the FSWP.
For example, if a candidate would have received 50 points for arranged employment in Skill Type/Level 0, A or B, those points will still be awarded if their NOC is in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.

Next steps based on your personal situation

In compliance with the changeover to NOC 2021, IRCC demands different tasks depending on where an applicant is in their Express Entry journey.

To begin, people who have not yet submitted an Express Entry profile but want to do so on or after today’s changeover must discover and submit their occupation’s code in accordance with the NOC 2021 while filling out the profile.

Alternative instructions will be provided to candidates who have submitted a profile but have not yet received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from IRCC. In this situation, applicants must amend their submitted Express Entry profile as soon as the modifications take effect tomorrow. This will necessitate a check of the NOC 2021 list on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) website and the updating of the individual’s profile with their TEER category and five-digit occupation code.

Finally, everyone who received their ITA before November 16 must use NOC 2016 to submit their Express Entry application (using the NOC code provided at the time of receipt).

Also Read: Top 10 In-Demand Jobs in Canada Looking Ahead to 2023

Visit our social media newsletter:

Facebook: Achintya Immigration Consultant

Instagram: Achintya Immigration Consultant

Twitter: Achintya Immigration Consultant

Linkedin: Achintya Immigration Consultant

Youtube: Achintya Immigration Consultant