Immigration Blog about US & Canadian Immigration matters.

What is the National Occupation Code?

The National Occupation Classification also known as the NOC is a system used by the Government of Canada that classifies occupations (jobs). The National Occupation Classification pretty much describes the type of work performed by Canadians in the labour market. These occupations are grouped based on work the performed which are determined by the task, duties and responsibility within the occupation. This information gives employers, job seekers, statisticians, labour market analysts, career counselors to collect information to better understand the nature of work and what type of experience is needed to apply for a program. The NOC tool has a four digit code that helps you classify the occupation based on skill type and skill level. These NOC digits give you important information about the occupation it represents. For example, 3113 Dentist- the “31” tells you that this is a health occupation and it requires university level education.

National Occupational Classification 2016 Update

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) has been updated to help employers and job seekers find the proper NOC without spending too much time and then ending up selecting the incorrect NOC. The NOC 2016 has enlisted new job titles and has simplified the content of the unit groups. Some unit groups have their descriptions and job titles updated, terminology has made changed to reflect the current usage of terminology in occupations. The structure of the NOC remains the same, meaning no major groups or minor have been added or removed or combined. You may find in some groups that their names of been changed or the content is updated. NOC 2016 is based on Skill Type and Skill Level just like NOC 2011.