Free NOC code finder and assessment

Paste the duties from your employer's reference letter. We compare them with all 516 NOC 2021 occupations and show the code they match best, your TEER level, how well they cover its lead statement and main duties, any duties copied from the NOC website, and the Express Entry programs that work counts for.

Check your job against NOC 2021

Your first assessment is free, no account needed. Create a free account to run more.

Job title *

Employer (optional)

Hours per week (optional)

Duties from your reference letter *

Put each duty on its own line, not a paragraph, and copy them from the letter as written. Leave out software skills (Excel, MS Office), languages and personal qualities. 0 / 150 characters minimum

Work setting (optional, improves accuracy)

Many occupations look the same on duties alone and differ only by where the work happened, who the employer was and what the job supported. These answers help, but never override, the duties.

Where was most of the work done?

For care, childcare, food, trades and office jobs, the workplace is part of the NOC definition.

What type of organization employed you?

Separates look-alike jobs, such as a medical office assistant and a legal assistant.

Did you supervise employees?

Only counts if your duties show it: officers read supervision from the letter.

Which area of the organization did you mainly support?

Separates jobs in the same place, such as procurement and logistics, or HR and payroll.

Anything else about the work setting

Each duty is on its own line, and I've removed anything that isn't a job duty.

We don't store your duties. Not legal advice.

What is a NOC code?

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada's list of occupations, kept by Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. Each of its 516 unit groups has a five-digit code, a lead statement that sums up the job, a list of main duties, example job titles and employment requirements. Immigration programs use it to decide whether your work experience counts.

The second digit of the code is the TEER level (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities). NOC 60030 Restaurant and food service managers, for example, is TEER 0.

TEER levels in NOC 2021
TEER	Usually means	Express Entry
0	Management occupations	Skilled work
1	Usually a university degree	Skilled work
2	College diploma or apprenticeship of 2+ years, or supervisory jobs	Skilled work
3	College diploma or apprenticeship under 2 years, or 6+ months of on-the-job training	Skilled work
4	High school diploma, or several weeks of on-the-job training	Not for the three Express Entry programs
5	Short work demonstration, no formal education required	Not for the three Express Entry programs

How IRCC checks your NOC code

For Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (sections 75 and 87.1) require that, in your qualifying work, you performed the actions in the occupation's lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties, including all of the essential duties. The officer reads the duties in your reference letter to decide.

That's why the job title alone isn't enough. A "manager" whose duties are serving customers and running the till matches a service occupation, not a management one, and a letter that copies the NOC website line for line can raise doubts of its own. IRCC's Find your NOC page has the official search.

How the assessment works

Shortlist. Your title and duties are matched against the titles, example titles, lead statements and main duties of every NOC 2021 Version 1.0 unit group, plus the look-alike occupations each one points to in its exclusions.
Compare. An AI model reads your duties against each shortlisted group the way an officer would, picks the best fit, and rates every main duty as strong, moderate, partial or not shown. Groups that cover several occupations are judged on yours only.
Check wording. Each of your duties is compared word for word with the NOC text to flag ones that look copied.
Programs. The TEER level decides which Express Entry programs the work can count for, with their minimum CLB levels.

Results come from Statistics Canada's NOC 2021 Version 1.0 descriptions. The tool doesn't keep what you paste. It's a starting point, not legal advice: IRCC makes the final decision, and a licensed consultant (RCIC) or lawyer can review your case.

What to put in a reference letter

For Express Entry, a reference letter usually needs to be on company letterhead with the employer's contact details, signed by your supervisor or HR, and to give:

your job title (each position, if you held more than one) and the dates you worked there
your main duties and responsibilities, described as you did them
your hours per week and your salary and benefits

One year of full-time work means 1,560 hours (30 hours a week). Check IRCC's current document checklist for your program before you submit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my NOC code?

Compare the duties you really performed with the lead statement and main duties of NOC 2021 unit groups, not just the job title. Paste the duties from your reference letter into the tool above to get the closest unit group, then confirm it on the official NOC website.

What do IRCC officers check about my NOC code?

For Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class, the regulations require that you performed the actions in the occupation's lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties, including all of the essential duties. Officers check this against the duties in your reference letter.

Which TEER levels are eligible for Express Entry?

Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class accept work in TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 occupations. Federal Skilled Trades accepts certain TEER 2 and 3 trades. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count for these three programs, although some provincial nominee streams and pilots accept it.

Can I copy the NOC main duties into my reference letter?

No. A letter that repeats the NOC website word for word can look written for the officer rather than by your employer. The letter should describe the duties you really performed in your employer's words; the tool flags duties that are too close to the NOC text.

My job title matches a NOC code but my duties don't. Which counts?

The duties. Employers use job titles loosely, so IRCC looks at what you did. If your duties fit a different unit group better, that group is the one to claim.

What CELPIP score do I need for Express Entry?

Federal Skilled Worker needs CLB 7 in all four skills. Canadian Experience Class needs CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs. Federal Skilled Trades needs CLB 5 in Listening and Speaking and CLB 4 in Reading and Writing.

Is this NOC assessment free?

Your first assessment is free without an account. With a free CELPass account you can run up to 3 a day, for example to check another job or a revised letter.

CELPass is an independent CELPIP practice platform, not an immigration consultancy, and is not affiliated with IRCC, Statistics Canada or Paragon Testing Enterprises. NOC data: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0, used under the Statistics Canada Open Licence. This tool gives general information, not legal advice.