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Courses are listed first, then pages, then news.
LPEN’s plain-language reference to Canada’s National Occupational Classification — how the five-digit code is built, what TEER actually measures, and how to find the right unit group for an application.
The guide opens in a new window.
TEER describes what the occupation usually requires — not what your client happens to hold. The guide works through how to apply it in practice.
| TEER | The occupation usually requires | FSW and CEC |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Management responsibilities, including legislators, senior managers and middle managers | Eligible |
| 1 | A university degree — bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate; or previous experience and subject-matter expertise from a related TEER 2 occupation | Eligible |
| 2 | A post-secondary programme of two to three years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or an apprenticeship of two to five years; or supervisory or significant safety responsibilities; or several years of experience in a related TEER 3 occupation | Eligible |
| 3 | A post-secondary programme of less than two years; or an apprenticeship of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary school; or several years of experience in a related TEER 4 occupation | Eligible |
| 4 | Completion of secondary school; or several weeks of on-the-job training with some secondary school; or experience in a related TEER 5 occupation | Not eligible |
| 5 | A short work demonstration, and no formal educational requirements | Not eligible |
To rely on a NOC, IRCC requires you to show that you performed the actions in the lead statement of the NOC job description, and most of the main duties listed — and to choose the NOC that most closely aligns with the work experience. The guide covers how to work through a unit group properly.
Bookmark the primary sources rather than secondary summaries — including this one.
ESDC. Look up any occupation and read the full unit group.
IRCC. What it expects the duties to establish.
IRCC. Current eligible occupations, by category.
Statistics Canada. How the classification is built.
NOC 2021 Version 1.0. It is the version IRCC applies when assessing skilled work experience for Express Entry. Statistics Canada will release NOC 2026 Version 1.0 in December 2026, but a Statistics Canada release is not an IRCC implementation — IRCC announces separately when a new version applies to applications.
It covers NOC 2021 Version 1.0. Treat it as grounding in how the classification works rather than a live record of programme rules — those change more often than the guide does, and this page does not track every change. Before you rely on a point in a file, confirm it against the official sources above.
No. Reading a reference document is not an accredited CPD activity. CPD hours come from the courses themselves, and each LPEN course states which regulators recognise it and for how many hours.
Yes. It is free, there is nothing to fill in, and the link works for anyone.
November 4, 2026 · 4 hours · $120 · live online with Andrew Carvajal, plus the recording until December 31, 2027. A step-by-step walk through the NOC and NAICS: structure and hierarchy, the TEER framework, correspondence tables, and how to choose and justify a code in Express Entry, LMIA and PNP submissions.
General professional education for licensed practitioners. Not legal advice, and not a substitute for the operative instrument. Every factual statement on this page is drawn from a Government of Canada source and linked to it. Rules change — confirm each point against IRCC, ESDC and Statistics Canada before relying on it in a file.