Program Eligibility with the new NOC 2021

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently refers to occupational codes under the National Occupation Classification of 2016 (NOC 2016) to determine eligibility for temporary and permanent residence programs. The revised NOC 2021 and its TEER structure was implemented in November 2022. The new TEER structure replaced the previous skill type/level classification as follows:

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

This resulted in minor changes for most programs (e.g., the use of new terminology), but more substantive changes are needed for programs with narrower occupational criteria where the current Skill Type/Level groupings are used, including those managed under Express Entry (i.e., Federal Skilled Workers Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program) and the Atlantic Immigration Program. 

Express Entry

Previously, the three Express Entry programs are open to occupations that were categorized as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B. With the implementation of NOC 2021, the programs' eligibility cut-off became TEER 3. This affected eligibility of foreign nationals in a small number of occupations; the vast majority of whom benefited from the change. The following 16 occupations became eligible under Express Entry: 

• 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;
• Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators;
• Heavy equipment operators; and
• Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors.

Only three unit groups of occupations became ineligible under Express Entry:

• other performers;
• program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness; and
• tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners.

Some occupations were moved to another unit group. Specialized livestock workers, for example, moved from NOC 8252 (skill level B) to NOC 84120 (TEER 4). As it is no longer considered skilled work, specialized livestock workers are not eligible for Express Entry under the new NOC 2021.

Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

For the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), the eligibility cutoff changed from Skill Level C to TEER 4. Subsequently, the following twelve occupations became ineligible under the AIP, based on their revised occupational requirements:

• Pet groomers and animal care workers; 
• Other support occupations in personal services;
• Longshore workers;
• Material handlers;
• Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs;
• Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors;
• Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations;
• Livestock labourers1;
• Nursery and greenhouse labourers;
• Trappers and hunters;
• Food and beverage servers 2; and
• Labourers in textile processing and cutting. 

The affected occupations remain eligible for programs with broader occupational eligibility criteria (e.g. some streams of the Provincial Nominee Program).

Is your occupation affected by these changes? Contact us to find your path to Canada!