Search 150+ Canadian occupations by job title, NOC code, or keyword, then check Express Entry eligibility, salary ranges, and apply for jobs directly
The Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system classifies occupations based on the level of training and education typically required.
Express Entry eligibility: TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 are eligible for Express Entry (FSW/CEC/FST). TEER 4 and 5 are generally not eligible for Express Entry but may qualify for other programs like Provincial Nominee Programs.
Your NOC code decides which immigration programs you qualify for, and getting it right matters more than most people realise.
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the system Canada uses to describe every job in the country. Each occupation has a five-digit code, and immigration programs are written in terms of those codes. That is why your NOC determines whether you are eligible for Express Entry, whether you match a category-based draw, and which provincial streams will consider you.
The single most common NOC error is choosing a code because the title matches, when the duties do not. Your reference letter has to state duties that line up with the NOC you claimed. If an officer reads your letter and it describes a different occupation, the experience can be rejected. That can drop you below the cut-off or, after an invitation, put your application at risk for misrepresentation.
Practical rule: pick the NOC first, then have your employer write the reference letter around that NOC’s lead statement and main duties, with your title, dates, hours per week, salary and the duties spelled out. Never do it the other way round, and never stretch a code to fit a draw you want to qualify for.
Canada moved from NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 in November 2022. Two things changed that still confuse people working from older guides:
| NOC 2016 (old) | NOC 2021 (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Code length | Four digits | Five digits |
| Skill grouping | Skill levels A / B / C / D | TEER 0 – 5 |
An old four-digit code does not simply gain a digit. Some occupations were split, merged or re-levelled, and a few changed eligibility as a result. If you are working from an older document, look your occupation up again in the current system rather than converting the number by hand.
Sometimes your work honestly spans two occupations. In that case choose the one where (a) your duties and reference letter match most closely, and (b) the TEER level and category eligibility work in your favour. That is a legitimate choice between two accurate options, which is very different from picking a code you cannot evidence.
This tool is a free search aid to help you plan; it is not an official IRCC determination. Always confirm your occupation against the current NOC and program criteria on canada.ca. Case-specific advice is provided through an independent licensed RCIC.
Search by the work you actually perform rather than your job title, then open each candidate occupation and read its lead statement and main duties. The correct NOC is the one whose lead statement describes your role and whose main duties you can say you genuinely performed, because your employment reference letter has to match it.
TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. It replaced the old NOC skill levels (A, B, C, D) in the NOC 2021 update and runs from TEER 0 (management) to TEER 5 (short work demonstration, no formal education required). The second digit of your five-digit NOC code is its TEER level.
The federal programs count skilled work in TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3. TEER 4 and 5 occupations are generally not eligible for Express Entry on their own, but several provincial nominee streams and the Atlantic Immigration Program do accept them, often with an employer job offer.
That is normal. The NOC describes occupations, not company job titles. Ignore the title and match on duties instead. Your reference letter can state your internal title alongside duties that correspond to the NOC you are claiming.
You can correct an Express Entry profile before you are invited, and correcting a genuine mistake is far better than leaving it wrong. Changing the code after an invitation is much riskier, because your documents must support what you claimed. Get advice before altering anything at that stage.
Do not convert it arithmetically. NOC 2021 restructured occupations (some were split, merged or assigned a different level), so look your occupation up fresh in the current classification and confirm the duties still match.
Your NOC & TEER code feeds every PR calculation. Now put it to work.