How do I find the right NOC code for my occupation in Express Entry?

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the federal government's system for categorizing all jobs in Canada. In Express Entry, your NOC classification determines whether your experience qualifies for the program, which TEER level it falls under, and how many points you earn. Using the wrong NOC code — even if well-intentioned — can result in errors in your application that may constitute misrepresentation.

Canada transitioned to the NOC 2021 system, which organizes occupations by TEER (Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities) levels 0 through 5. Express Entry generally accepts TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 occupations (management, professional, technical, and some skilled trade roles). TEER 4 and 5 are service and labour roles that generally do not qualify.

To find the right NOC, start with the IRCC and Statistics Canada websites, which allow you to search by job title or description and compare your duties against the NOC occupational descriptions. The critical step is ensuring your actual job duties match the description in the NOC unit group — your employer's job title does not control the NOC classification; your duties do. If your duties span multiple NOC codes, you should use the one that most closely matches the primary duties you perform. For high-stakes applications, a lawyer can review your classification before you submit.