National Occupational Classification (NOC) Update

The National Occupational Classification (‘NOC’), is a system created by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in which all occupations are classified and defined for various Canadian legal purposes, including immigration considerations.

The classification is broken down into a grid which determines:

  • along its X-axis, the type of field
    • e.g. scientific, health, business occupations, etc., and
  • along its Y-axis, the level within the field
    • e.g. management level, occupations typically requiring a university degree, occupations typically requiring a college diploma, etc.

Occupations within the grid are then further broken down into specific categories, and each occupation is assigned 4-digit code.

For immigration purposes, the NOC is instrumental in determination of various issues, including, but not limited to:

  • applicability of particular work permit categories (e.g. what are the duties of a Computer Systems Analyst for the purpose of consideration of a possible NAFTA Professional application in that category)
  • consideration of whether a particular applicant can be classified in a specific job, based on its educational or other requirements
  • salary, and
  • the right of spouses/common-law partners to work.

Except for open work permits, determination of the appropriate NOC code is always relevant for work permit applications, and it is also relevant for economic class permanent residence applications. [Note that there are cases where NOC consideration may intersect with different occupational classifications for immigration purposes. For example, under the new Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement (CETA), the United Nations Provisional Central Product Classification is referenced. There will typically be a concordance that allows consideration under an appropriate Canadian NOC Code, but it is important to ensure that appropriate requirements are met under all applicable classifications.]

Along the way, various versions of the NOC have been published. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it will be now be relying on the most recent 2016 version of the NOC. Previously, the 2011 version was in use (and prior versions before that). As such, anyone dealing with a prospective Canadian work permit or permanent residence application must now ensure that they are considering the NOC elements as set out in the 2016 version, and not prior versions. The 2016 NOC can be found at http://noc.esdc.gc.ca/English/noc/welcome.aspx?ver=16. There is currently no concordance table published showing the relationship of NOC 2016 categories, and categories under any prior NOC version.

The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.