IMMIGRATION.EDUCATION.NATURALIZATION
IRCC provides a Step by step guide on how to open an Express Entry account
Video content courtesy: Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Express Entry - Overview
Work experience only counts for Express Entry if it is considered “skilled” according to Canada’s occupation classification system.
When Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assesses your work experience, it looks at how much education is required of to do your job. Generally speaking, the more education and experience it takes to work in your position, the higher your occupational skill level will be. Canada currently analyzes a job’s skill level using the 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC).
For economic-class immigration, IRCC generally uses the NOC to evaluate how the work experience of a given immigration candidate will support the mandate of the immigration program they are applying for. Economic-class immigration programs are specifically designed to fill job vacancies with foreign talent to support Canada’s labour market, and long-term prosperity.
When it comes to Express Entry, the specific occupation does not matter as much as the skill level. When assessing your application, IRCC will match your job duties with the NOC description to determine your occupation and whether or not it is skilled. There are five NOC skill levels described on the Canadian government website:
- Skill Type 0 (zero): Management jobs, such as: restaurant managers, mine managers, and shore captains (fishing).
- Skill Level A: Professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university, such as: doctors, dentists, and architects.
- Skill Level B: Technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice, such as: chefs, plumbers, and electricians.
- Skill Level C: Intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training, such as: industrial butchers, long-haul truck drivers, food and beverage servers.
- Skill Level D: Labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training, such as: fruit pickers, cleaning staff, and oil field workers.
For the purposes of Express Entry, only jobs that fall under skill types 0, A, and B are considered “skilled”. You need skilled work experience to be eligible for one of the three Express Entry-managed immigration programs. How much work experience you need depends on which program you are applying for.
Over 700,000 new immigrants will be choosing Canada as their new home in the next 3 years. You can be one of them. Consult our licensed member to learn more about the Express Entry programs and how we can improve your CRS scores and help you qualify under the most suited Express Entry stream. Book a free consultation and let’s talk!