Understanding NOC code in Canada immigration and its importance

Are you thinking about migrating to Canada? Then it is important to find your NOC code to identify the best immigration pathway for you. The National Occupational Classification or NOC is a unique Canadian system of classifying and describing occupations based on skills and locations. Most of the economic immigration programs including the Express Entry use National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to assess work experience of the candidates.  The NOC also helps to understand the main duties and educational requirements for each occupation and other important information.

What is NOC code?

NOC code is a unique four-digit code assigned to each occupation, which makes it easier to identify its skill level, skill type, type of the industry and education requirements. The code depicts job title, lead statement and job description. If you are an aspiring immigrant, you must remember that your current job has not much to do with determining your NOC code. What is relevant is your work experience, which should match the lead statement of that particular NOC code. It should also match with the duties and responsibilities mentioned in the job description.

Find your NOC code here – NOC Finder

Skill type in the NOC code

The first digit of the NOC code indicates the skill type. Under the National Occupations Classification, occupations have been classified into 10 different skill types:

Skill level in NOC code

The second digit in the NOC code depicts the skill level of the occupation. The job groups have further been classified into five categories based on the skill level required for various jobs.

Skill Level type 0

Management jobs that revolve around managerial roles come under this category. The job titles under this category include hotel managers, mine managers, human resource managers, resort managers etc. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has classified the jobs under this category as high skilled occupations.

Skill Level Type A

Professional jobs such as engineering, medicine, finance etc. come under this category. It is the Skill Level type for doctors, engineers, nurses, dentists, marketing specialists etc. To apply for a job under this category, you need a professional degree. In the NOC code, skill level A is defined as ‘0’ or ‘1’. These jobs are also classified as high skilled occupations by the IRCC.

Skill Level Type B

The supervisory level jobs in all industries are classified under Skill Level Type B. The jobs that require technical skills, such as electricians, mechanics, bakers etc. also come under this category. Diploma is the minimum education qualification for this category. IRCC classif ies these jobs as highly skilled occupations and in the NOC code, skill level B is defined as ‘2’ or ‘3’.

Skill Level Type C

Intermediate level jobs including receptionists, truck drivers, travel guides, dispatchers etc. come under this Skill level type. The minimum education qualification for these jobs is high school education. These are classified by the IRCC as low skilled occupation.

Skill Level Type D

Labour jobs such as janitors, dry cleaners, kitchen helpers etc. come under this category. These are also classified by the IRCC as low skilled occupation.

Minor Groups and Unit Groups

The third digit in the NOC code further divides major groups into 140 occupational categories called Minor Groups. The fourth digit stands for the Unit Group. There are 500 Unit Groups that include numerous job titles.

Decoding the NOC code

Each NOC code indicates the skill type, skill level and specialised services of the occupation.

For example,

The NOC code for Registered Nurses is 3012. The digit 3 in the code indicates the skill type, which is, health services. The second digit

stands for the skill level. ‘0’ stands for Skill Level Type A, which is a professional job that requires a college or relevant degree. Number 12 indicates the specialised services.

NOC for immigration

In order to find your correct NOC code for immigration, it is always ideal to consult an immigration expert. If your work experience can be classified under NOC skill level 0, A or B, you are a skilled worker, which means you can apply for immigration under Canada Express Entry. If your skill level is C or D, you may come to Canada as a provincial nominee or through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot or as a temporary worker.

Are you planning to migrate to Canada? Find your NOC code and the best options for immigration with the help of Canada immigration consultants. Connect with CanApprove now.