Canada Adds 16 Occupations for Express Entry in its Upgraded NOC System

Canada Adds 16 Occupations for Express Entry in its Upgraded NOC System

The second half of 2022 will bring new changes to Canada’s Express Entry System to assess an applicant’s eligibility for Canadian immigration. If you want to check points for Canada PR, now is the right time to do as new changes will come into effect very soon. Once implemented, the new NOC system will impact an individual’s ability to apply for a Canada PR visa. The overhaul of Canada’s NOC system also includes 16 additional occupations that have become eligible for Express Entry.

NOC Codes are essential components of Immigration to Canada, categorizing occupations according to Canada’s changing labor market needs. The government of Canada reviews the NOC code every five years and updates it every ten years, making new additions and omissions. The NOC codes saw the most significant upgrade in 2011. NOC codes are used by Immigrant, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to evaluate an applicant’s work experience and determine program eligibility.  The Express Entry system requires candidates to demonstrate at least one year of work experience in NOC Skill Level A, B, or 0.

What are the New Changes in the NOC System?

The new system will transition from the existing skill-level based classification to a new TEER system, which stands for Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities. From November 2022, the Canada visa points for skilled foreign workers will be calculated using the new TEER system only. The classification will simplify the Employment and Social Development Canada to segregate formal training and education, especially within the Skill Level B category. The NOC update in 2016 covered the majority of occupations in the Skill Level B matrix.

However, the new TEER system will provide more clarity and understanding of the level of education or training required for a specific occupation. Instead of identifying skill levels as 0, A, B, C, and D, the TEER system will have a numerical classification consisting of six categories. The TEER system will allocate number values to occupations: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, making it easier to distinguish between skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled positions. It’s a significant update for those whose semi-skilled position has been updated to a skilled position.

The new TEER system will also have five digits of code instead of the earlier four and cover occupations like data security and cyber security.

The NOC 2021 will use the following classifications under the new TEER system:

TEER 0- management occupations.

TEER 1- cover jobs that require university degree i.e. similar to NOC A. Further, TEER 1 will include persons in TEER 2 occupations with several years of work experience.

TEER 2- the applicants must show a post-secondary education of two years or more or apprenticeship training as well as occupations with supervisory or significant safety responsibilities.

TEER 3 requires post-secondary education or apprenticeship of less than two years or secondary schooling with more than six months of on-job training.

EER 4 covers positions where applicants must have completed secondary school and are likely to undergo a few weeks of on-job training

TEER 5- No formal education requirements and only a short job description

The current NOC system has added the following 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 services;
•Pest controllers and fumigators;
•Other repairers and services;
•Transport truck drivers;
•Bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators;
•Heavy equipment operators; and
•Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors.

Three other occupations that were eligible for Express Entry under NOC 2016 update will be ineligible under NOC 2021. They are:

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

Is there any need to bring changes to the NOC system?

As per Statistics Canada, the modification was required for various reasons. The changes will categorize occupations based on “skill levels” as the current NOC focuses more on occupations than skills. The TEER system will emphasize the education and experience necessary to perform a job role. Another reason- the current system of NOC does not represent high-skilled and low-skilled jobs. The overhaul abandons this classification to present necessary skills for the Canadian economy.

Do you want to learn more? Do you want to calculate your eligibility on Canada immigration point’s calculator system? Come to us for a free counseling session and give your immigration plans the right start.