NOC of Canada has been established in 2021. What does 2022 hold in store for immigrants?

Some economic classes and temporary foreign labor applicants will be impacted by Canada’s new classification system.

In the fall of 2022, Canada’s immigration system will change how vocations are classified.

The reforms will affect some applicants from certain economic classes and foreign workers, however, the federal administration has yet to specify which applications will be affected.

The National Occupational Classification is Canada’s system for classifying occupations (NOC). Every year, the NOC is updated and evaluated to ensure that it continues to reflect Canada’s dynamic labor market. It is upgraded every ten years or so, with the latest edition being the most significant upgrade since 2011. Last month, Statistics Canada issued its updated NOC 2021 report.

Because the federal and provincial governments use the NOC to oversee skilled labour immigrant programs and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, it is critical for Canadian immigration (TFWP). The NOC eligibility requirements of the program to which an applicant or temporary foreign employee is applying must be met.

For example, skilled job immigration applicants must demonstrate working experience in a NOC that comes under one of the following codes under Express Entry:

• NOC 0: Skill type 0 professions are often managerial;
• NOC A: Skill type A employments are professional in character and normally involve a university degree; or
• NOC B: Skill type B professions are skilled trades vocations that typically require a college education or apprentice training.

NOC 2016 is now being used by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as well as Canada’s provinces and territories to determine eligibility for skilled worker immigration programs.

NOC 2016 has also been used by the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to assess Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) submissions.

The Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a labor market assessment conducted by the Canadian government. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program stipulates that it be completed (TFWP). ESDC must examine whether hiring a foreign citizen would have a generally positive impact on Canadian workers when evaluating an LMIA application. A foreign employee can then submit their LMIA and employment offer letters to IRCC as evidence for their work visa applications.

NOC 2021 will go into effect in “fall 2022”

According to the IRCC, the federal government intends to be able to implement the new classification system for vocations in “fall 2022.” This, it claimed, will give IRCC time to notify stakeholders of the changes and roll out the new format across all of its programs. In order to guarantee consistency throughout the working visa application process, IRCC is harmonizing the rollout with ESDC.

NOC competence level replaced by the new TEER system

The Canadian government will now classify employment focuses on a recent Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) system, rather than the present practice of classifying jobs based on skill type.

NOC skill levels are currently classified into four types: A, B, C, and D.

NOC 2021 abandons this technique in favour of the TEER system, which is divided into six categories: TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Why are TEERs being used by the Canadian government instead of NOCs?

This adjustment is necessary, according to Statistics Canada, for various reasons.

To begin with, classifying professions based on “skill levels” is perplexing, given the NOC is concerned with occupations rather than skills. The TEER system will be introduced with an emphasis on the experience and education needed to work in a specific occupation.

Second, Statistics Canada claims that the former NOC categorization method created an artificial divide between low- and high-skilled workers. This redesign abandons the high/low categorization in favor of a more accurate representation of the abilities necessary in each occupation.

What does this imply for immigrants?

Once IRCC and ESDC have adopted NOC 2021, immigration and foreign labour applicants must confirm that their NOC matches the eligibility requirements of the program to which they are applying.

One area of particular concern is how IRCC and ESDC classify professions currently classified as skill level “B.” This group has grown hugely disproportionate over time, according to Statistics Canada, since it encompasses occupations that require various levels of education and experience. It is presently unknown which TEER categories will be qualified for Express Entry-managed programs, as well as many other federal and provincial programs that require a “high skilled” NOC.

For the time being, immigration applicants will have to wait for more information from IRCC and ESDC.

There are 516 vocations in the new TEER system, up from 500 in NOC 2016. To represent expanding industries such as data science, cyber security, and others, new jobs have been established.

By using following Statistics Canada tool, you may see how your present NOC compares to the NOC for 2021.