Understanding NOC TEER Codes

As a candidate applying for immigration to Canada, you must have realized how important it is to declare the correct NOC TEER codes in your application. Immigration authorities use these codes to assess your work experience in almost all immigration programs, whether in Express Entry or Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Therefore, it is very important that you understand various NOC TEER codes and how they work.

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) system is a standardized classification recognized at both the Federal and provincial levels. The system is structured hierarchically with broad categories at upper levels, like management jobs, and specific job titles at lower levels, like hotel manager. Let’s say you want information about a particular job – what qualifications are needed, what responsibilities are attached to the job – all this information can be found out by referring to the NOC TEER code.

Right now, the NOC system in use is the NOC 2021 Version 1.0, which is based on five levels of hierarchy. Each job in this system is assigned a five-digit NOC TEER code, corresponding to these five hierarchical levels. The first digit of the code represents the first layer of the NOC structure. All digits following the first digit will help you delve deeper into different aspects of a particular job and understand the roles and responsibilities that are expected to form the core of your work experience.

The five digits of the NOC TEER codes are broken down like this:

• The first digit in the NOC TEER code specifies the broad occupational category to which the job belongs. These categories give you information about the field of study, key industries where these jobs are found, and the type of work performed. This level is also designed to include collections of jobs that are necessarily similar to each other in terms of responsibilities and work performed. There are 10 broad occupational categories in NOC 2021 Version 1.0.

• The second digit in the NOC TEER code specifies the TEER category. These categories define the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities, also called TEER, needed for a job. There are 6 TEER categories as defined by the NOC 2021 Version 1.0, from TEER 0 to TEER 5.

• The first two digits of the NOC TEER code together specify the major group linked with a particular job. This two-digit code contains many sub-major groups within itself. The NOC 2021 Version 1.0 has 45 major groups.

• The first three digits of the NOC TEER code together will tell you the sub-major group linked with a particular job. This three-digit code contains a collection of minor groups from a particular field of activity. The NOC 2021 Version 1.0 contains 89 sub-major groups.

• The first four digits of the NOC TEER code together make the minor group which is defined as the occupational domain linked to a particular job. This four-digit code contains multiple unit groups that are similar to each other. In NOC 2021 Version 1.0, there are 162 minor groups.

• The full five digits of the NOC TEER code together tell you the unit group or the occupation itself. This is where you will get exact information about what roles and responsibilities you have to perform if you want to claim this NOC TEER code in your immigration application. You will also get information about the educational qualifications or license requirements that are needed for this particular job. There are 516 unit groups as specified in NOC 2021 Version 1.0. This code also may have more than one occupations bunched together.

An example here will make things clearer. The five-digit NOC TEER code for Dentists is 31110. Here, the first digit 3 specifies the broad occupational category, which, in this case, is Health Occupations. The second digit specifies the TEER category which is TEER 1, which means that the educational qualifications needed for this job require a University degree. The first two digits together specify the major group, which here is 31 – Professional occupations in health. The first three digits together specify the sub-major group, which would be 311 – Health treating and consultation service professionals. Next, come the first four digits together specifying the minor group. In this case, it would be 3111 – Dentists, optometrists, and audiologists. Last, comes the job title itself - 31110 – Dentists.

To find the NOC TEER code that most suits your job responsibilities and is right for your immigration application, you can use the NOC Matrix available on the official website of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Just take care that you are using the latest NOC 2021 Version 1.0 matrix. You will need to enter the title of your job in the matrix and you will be shown all the entries related to that job title. You can also search the matrix by using industry keywords. To find the right NOC TEER code for you, choose the code where the responsibilities performed by you at your job best match the described responsibilities. Again, do not focus on the job title. Focus on the job responsibilities that are described in the lead statement. Also remember that you will need to provide documentation like reference letters from your employers to prove your claim.

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Disclaimer:

The content available on this page is for informational purpose only. For professional advice, please book an appointment with our licensed immigration consultants through our website.

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