TEER is Here to Stay: How the TEER System Affects Express Entry
Several changes were made to the Canadian immigration system in 2022, including a scheduled update to the National Occupation Classification (NOC). NOC is a system used to classify Express Entry candidates’ professions and skill levels to determine their eligibility for Express Entry. NOC 2021, jointly published by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Statistics Canada, is the latest update in the classification system’s 5-year cycle.
Every five years, the NOC system undergoes structural updates to keep up to date with the current Canadian labour market and immigration needs. Every 10 years it is overhauled entirely. For NOC 2021, this involved extensive research, analysis of NOC 2016, and the contributions of the public and relevant stakeholders. This lengthy revision process eventually led to the decision to replace NOC 2016’s four-category skill level classification with the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) System.
The TEER System is based in six TEERS, numbering 0–5, that served to recategorize the classification system and redistributed NOC 2016’s more overloaded groups, specifically their B category. Instead of categorization based on NOC 2016’s “skill levels”, it focuses more on education and experience, and is supposed to represent a better understanding of the NOC’s focus.
The new NOC 2021 reflects labour market changes and the change to the reclassified system is a fairly straightforward transition. Skill Levels 0-D directly matches up to TEERs 0–5 in order, with Skill Level B split up between TEERs 2 and 3. However, the actual implementation of the system on November 16th last year has brought about changes in the Express Entry process and eligibility that anyone applying should familiarize themselves with.
Under NOC 2021’s classifications, 16 new occupations are now eligible to apply for the Express Entry program. These new occupations are:
- Payroll administrators
- Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
- Sheriffs and bailiffs
- Correctional service officers
- By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
- Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
- Residential and commercial installers and servicers
- Pest controllers and fumigators
- Other repairers and servicers
- Transport truck drivers
- Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
- Heavy equipment operators
- Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
3 other previously eligible occupations are now newly ineligible, and are:
- Other performers
- Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport, and fitness
- Tailors, dressmakers, furriers, and milliners
This overall expansion opens the door to many skilled workers hoping to enter the Express Entry program and are now eligible under NOC 2021 since it was implemented. All candidates submitting a profile to the Express Entry system after the November 16th implementation date must therefore follow NOC 2021 classification.
Candidates who submitted a profile prior to this date but have not yet received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency must switch their NOC 2016 classification to the NOC 2021 system. As they are still within the Express Entry pool, they must update for each position included in their job profile in order to remain a valid candidate for draws. Failure to do so disqualifies them from future draws.
For those who have already received an ITA prior to the implementation date, there is no change to the remainder of their process. Applicants in this stage apply for permanent residency under the classification system of NOC 2016.
