On Nov. 16, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is switching to the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, known as NOC 2021.

Skilled Immigration under BC PNP is further divided into five components:

  • Skilled Workers;
  • Health Authority;
  • International Graduates;
  • International Post-Graduates, and;
  • Entry-level and semi-skilled workers.

British Columbia will temporarily shut down online registration for its Skills Immigration (SI) category starting in mid-October as it switches to using the latest National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.

Express Entry Applications From Nov. 16 Will Need To Include New NOC 2021 Codes

“If you plan to submit an Express Entry profile on or after Nov. 16, you must search for your occupation under the NOC 2021 list on the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) website (and) submit your Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category and five-digit occupation code when filling out your profile,” notes the federal government website.

Those who have already submitted a profile but have not been sent an ITA must:

  • search for their occupation under the NOC 2021 list on the ESDC website, and;
  • update their profile with their TEER Category and five-digit occupational code.

The new NOC is being phased in gradually “to provide organizations and programs with enough time to make a proper transition from NOC 2016 to NOC 2021.”

A nationally-recognized and standardized system used by the IRCC to evaluate the work experience of applicants for immigration, the choice of the right NOC code is one of the most important parts of an application for immigration.