How your chances for permanent residence through Express Entry depend on your National Occupation Code (NOC)
The Canadian permanent residence (PR) significantly depends on the primary National Occupational Classification (NOC) code which you use for your Express Entry.
Apart from determining your eligibility for certain Express Entry programs, it also affects your visibility as a suitable candidate for better Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams.
Choosing the right Primary NOC will help you avoid negative consequences for your immigration changes like missed opportunities, application refusals, and wrong representation.
This article will guide you on how to choose the right primary NOC and its importance in your Express Entry profile.
Note: This document’s purpose is to only inform and could be changed as policies are updated. This article was last updated on December 2, 2025. For official information relating to Canadian visas and immigration, visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, or contact a Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant.
Why does your primary NOC matter?
Eligibility for Express Entry
Your primary National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the primary category which you select in your candidate profile. As you create an Express Entry profile, you are required to input this primary NOC to base your Express Entry application which will represent your main skilled occupation for which you are claiming your experience once you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
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You can be found ineligible for certain Express Entry programs if you input the wrong primary NOC code in your Express Entry profile.
In one of the following NOC groups, your primary NOC should be available with at least 2 years of work experience for Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) which are– Major Groups 72, 73, 82, 83, 92, or 93; Sub-Major Groups 726 and 932 are excluded, Minor Group 6320; or Unit Group 62200.
For instance, your work experience as a chef falls under NOC 62200 but you unintentionally listed your primary occupation as NOC 62300 which falls under cook. This minor mistake would make you ineligible for the FSTP because you did not realize that IRCC does not classify them similarly. It will mean you are misrepresenting your experience, as your duties of work experience do not match irrespective of them being similar to each other.
Your one year of continuous work experience in your primary occupation must match the NOC you plan to use while submitting an Express Entry application to be considered for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
For Canadian Experience Class (CEC), you must simply have at least one year of work experience which you gained by working in Canada in one or more NOCs that falls under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Consideration by enhanced Provincial Nominee Program streams that are aligned with the federal Express Entry system
When you select the correct NOC as your primary occupation in your Express Entry profile, you are discovered by provinces that can be searching for professionals who have enough experience as per their requirement or a job offer in that same occupation.
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Most Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) have at least one enhanced stream. The enhanced streams are aligned with the federal Express Entry system. In such cases, a PNP runs searches for candidates in a structured manner that meets the criteria for one or more of their enhanced streams by accessing the Express Entry profiles’ pool.
PNPs often conduct their structured searches based on primary NOCs, as well as the years of work experience in NOCs of interest, although they can filter their search based on a variety of other factors.
Based on provinces’ regional needs, PNPs mostly target and prioritize certain sectors and occupations for provincial nomination.
If a candidate accidentally inputs the wrong NOC as their primary occupation, their profile may never be discovered by a province for an enhanced stream that they can absolutely be eligible for.
If a province selects you from the Express Entry pool through enhanced stream, you receive a Notification of Interest (NOI), which is technically an invitation to apply for provincial nomination.
For Example- You wish to immigrate to Canada and settle in either of the provinces Alberta, Ontario, or British Columbia. Since you have been living and working in Ontario for over a year, so you eventually create an Express Entry profile which is meant to be considered under CEC, and you also select those three provinces as your Provinces of Interest (POI).
Let’s suppose you are working under the designation title of “Graphic Designer” which would fall under NOC 52120. You perform your duties diligently, gain your work experience and skills, but you find out that, according to the NOC, your job duties are more aligned with “Web Designer” falling under NOC 21233 so you make this NOC in your profile as your primary NOC.
But in another scenario based on your skills and qualifications, you are several points short for CEC draws with a supposedly Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 525, as per the recent CRS score cut-offs,
However, you will qualify for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s (OINP) through the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream, as the province finds their suitable candidates through the Express Entry pool.
Because when you selected your primary NOC as 21233 (Web Designer) while creating your Express Entry profile, you will be qualified for the tech draws of Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s (OINP)’s tech draws, which target nine specific occupations in the technology sector.
The OINP scans the Express Entry pool to find suitable candidates with qualifying work experience in one of these NOCs. When they see your profile meeting their regional needs, they will send you an NOI.
If you had just put your primary NOC as 52120 of Graphic Designer, gone based on your designation title at work, you wouldn’t have been discovered by Ontario and receive an invitation to apply for provincial nomination through Ontario’s initiative of recruitment of tech draws.
Also, when you apply for provincial nomination, you get an additional 600 points toward their CRS score, which will almost guarantee an ITA in the next Express Entry draw.
Can you choose multiple primary NOC for one Express Entry profile?
You cannot list multiple primary NOCs in one Express Entry profile. However, you can have work experience in multiple NOCs, and that experience can contribute to your eligibility for certain programs as CEC allows experience in more than one NOC as long as they fall under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. The key is to choose the NOC that best represents your main occupation and matches your documented duties. Here are simple steps to help you choose the correct primary NOC–
Steps to Choose the Correct Primary NOC
Step 1: Start with the Government of Canada’s NOC Search
- Go to the official NOC webpage.
- Type your job/occupation title into the “Filter items” search bar.
- Review all matching NOC codes and TEER levels that appear (there can be multiple). For example, searching for “Executive Assistant” shows NOC 12100 (TEER 2).
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Step 2: Open the Detailed NOC Description Page
- Visit the NOC details
- Search again using the NOC code or your job title to open the full description. webpage.
Step 3: Compare Your Job Duties to the NOC Description
- Carefully review the Lead Statement (summary of the role).
- Examine the Main Duties section.
- Confirm that your real job experience matches most of these duties.
Step 4: Do NOT Choose Based on Job Title Alone
- Job titles differ across companies.
- Always match job responsibilities, not the job title.
Step 5: Try Alternative Titles if Needed
- If your duties do not match the NOC you checked, search again using: Different job titles, variations of your role, or related occupation names.
- Continue until you find the NOC that correctly reflects your actual duties.
Step 6: Ensure Your Documents Support the NOC
When you submit your Express Entry application, your documents must clearly reflect the duties listed under your chosen NOC.
These may include:
- Employment reference letters
- Job descriptions
- Contracts
- Pay records
Immigration officers will verify whether your documents substantially match the NOC duties.
Step 7: Understand the Risks of Choosing the Wrong NOC
Selecting a NOC that does not match your real duties can lead to serious consequences, including:
- Withdrawal of your provincial nomination (if applicable)
- Ban on submitting a PNP application for up to 2 years
- Refusal of your Express Entry application
- A fraud/misrepresentation record with IRCC
- Loss of temporary resident status
- Removal from Canada
- A 5-year ban from entering Canada
Conclusion
Choosing the correct primary NOC is one of the most important decisions you make when preparing your Express Entry profile. It not only determines your eligibility for federal programs like FSWP, CEC, and FSTP, but also plays a major role in whether a province discovers your profile for enhanced PNP streams. A well-matched NOC increases your chances of receiving a Notification of Interest (NOI), improves your competitiveness in the pool, and helps prevent delays, refusals, or allegations of misrepresentation.
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By understanding how NOCs work, comparing your actual job duties carefully, and selecting the NOC that accurately reflects your experience, you ensure your profile is both strong and compliant. As immigration policies evolve, staying informed and reviewing your NOC selection regularly can make a significant difference in your journey toward Canadian permanent residence.
Choosing your NOC wisely is not just a technical step, but it is a strategic decision that will shape your entire PR journey.
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