How does the NOC change affect my Express Entry process?

Starting this week, immigration authorities at the federal and provincial levels will begin implementation of the new version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021.

The changes are already in effect and have important implications for people who are applying for permanent residence in Canada, work permits and those who have profiles in the Express Entry system.

NOC 2021 Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility (TEER)

• TEER Category 0
• Management
• TEER Category 1
• Completion of a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree; or
• Prior experience and subject matter expertise in a related profession found in TEER 2 (where applicable).
• TEER Category 2
• Completion of a 2 to 3 year post-secondary education program at a community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or
• Completion of a two to five year apprenticeship training program; or
• Occupations with significant supervisory or safety responsibilities (e.g., police officers and firefighters); or
• Several years of experience in a related occupation since TEER 3 (where applicable).
• TEER Category 3
• Completion of a post-secondary education program of less than two years at a community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or
• Have completed an apprenticeship training program of less than two years;
• More than 6 months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary education; or
• Several years of experience in a related occupation since TEER 4 (where applicable).
• TEER Category 4
• Completion of high school;
• Several weeks of on-the-job training with some level of secondary education; or
• Experience in a profession related to TEER 5 (where applicable).
• TEER Category 5
• Occupations generally requiring a demonstration of short-term work and no formal education

How does NOC 2021 affect Express Entry?

Express Entry candidates who received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) before November 16, 2022, must file their permanent residence application using NOC 2016, according to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.

Those receiving an ITA from now on in the Rapid Entry draw will have to apply using NOC 2021.

Did you know that this change makes these occupations eligible?

With the new TEER categories, there are 16 occupations that are becoming eligible for Express Entry and 3 occupations that are no longer eligible.

The 16 occupations now eligible for Rapid Entry include:

- Payroll administrators.

- Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants.

- Nursing assistants and patient care assistants.

- Technical assistants and pharmacy assistants

- Assistant teachers in primary and secondary education

- Sheriffs and constables

- Prison service officials

- Law enforcement officials and other regulatory officials

- Beauticians, electrologists and related professions

- Residential and commercial installers and services

- Pest controllers and fumigators

- Other repair and maintenance shops

- Transport truck drivers

- Bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators

- Heavy equipment operators

- Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors

The three occupations that are no longer eligible for Express Entry include:

- Other interpreters

- Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sports, and fitness.

- Tailors, seamstresses, furriers and millers

These three occupations are still eligible for certain programs with broader work experience criteria, such as some Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams.

So the NOC points will be calculated differently already?

NOC 2021 does not change the way Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) or Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) selection factor points are calculated, it will only change which occupations are eligible for points.

For example, while the current NOC system (NOC 2016) requires a Rapid Entry candidate to have work experience classified in NOC skill types 0, A or B, the change from IRCC to NOC 2021 will bring with it a change to the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system.

This is how the skill type categories of the current NOC system match the TEER categories of the NOC 2021 system.

Key Note on Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) Selection Factor Items

Points awarded for selection factors as part of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will now follow the updated Skill Type/Level table introduced with the NOC 2021 system.

Example: If a candidate would have received 10 points for employment organized in Skill Type/Level 0, A or B, he/she will get those points for employment organized in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.

The transition to NOC 2021 will have an impact on the CRS.

Similar to the changes described above with the FSWP, the Comprehensive Classification System (CRS) points given for organized employment will now follow the updated Type/Skill Level table introduced with the NOC 2021 system.

Example: if a candidate would have received 50 points for organized employment in Skill Type/Level 0, A or B, he/she will get those points if his/her NOC is in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Next steps based on your personal situation

Depending on where your Express Entry process is located,

IRCC requires different actions according to the change to NOC 2021.

1. Those who have not yet submitted a Fast Entry profile but plan to do so on or after today's change will need to find and submit their occupation code in line with NOC 2021 when completing the profile.
2. Candidates who have submitted a profile but have not received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) have different instructions from IRCC. In this case, candidates will need to update their submitted Rapid Entry profile any time after the changes are implemented tomorrow. This will require the individual to search the NOC 2021 list on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) website and update their profile with their TEER category and five-digit occupation code.
3. Anyone who obtained their ITA before November 16, 2022 must submit their Express Entry application using NOC 2016 (using the NOC code provided at the time of application).

For more information, we recommend that you take a look at our previous blog post:

The new classification of NOC codes: What does this mean for migration processes?

If your objective is to migrate to Canada through the labor market, it is important that you know how to elaborate your curriculum vitae in the Canadian style, this video will be very useful for you with key data so that you can reach the greatest number of vacancies available in this country.

With love,

Immiland

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