Visas & Advice Detail
Skilled visas
David Fuller finds out what jobs make it onto the skilled visa lists in Canada and why
David Fuller talks to a labour department representative in Canada to find out how it is decided what skills are listed as being relevant for immigration purposes.
A representative of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada explains to David Fuller (DF) how it is decided that certain skills can help you obtain a Canadian visa, but others can't.
DF: How is the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) used for immigration purposes?
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada's standardised reference for occupational information. NOC is used to describe work, as well as collect and analyse occupational data through large surveys and the Census. NOC, as the foundation for labour market information, supports many employment initiatives and programmes, as well as some programmes related to immigration.
In the November 2008 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada made a commitment to continue to work with the provinces to make the recognition of foreign credentials a priority. The Government of Canada recognises that more needs to be done to ensure that immigrants are able to fully use the skills and knowledge they bring with them.
The Foreign Credentials Recognition (FCR) program, of which NOC is the cornerstone, accurately reflects the skills required for occupations in the Canadian labour market. NOC organises occupations on two main criteria: Skill Type and Skill Level. These aspects of the classification are used in some of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's programmes for the selection of possible immigrants and foreign workers.
The Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) helps internationally trained individuals who want to work in Canada get their credentials assessed and recognised more quickly in Canada. The FCRO also refers individuals to the NOC to better pinpoint their occupations and to explore related occupations for which they may be qualified.
To learn more about the recent Speech from the Thrown please visit: http://www.sft-ddt.gc.ca/eng/index.asp
DF: How long has NOC been in place and has it been successful in providing Canada with the migrants it needs?
NOC was published and implemented in 1992 to replace the former classification of occupations used in Canada.
DF: Who decides which occupations should be included on the NOC?
The decisions to add new occupational groups, or new occupation titles in existing groups to NOC, is the joint responsibility of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and Statistics Canada.
DF: How does HRSDC go about identifying the occupations that need to be included?
The decision to include occupations in the NOC is based on extensive research by HRSDC. The analysis of input from labour market information stakeholders, job analysis and ongoing labour market monitoring by HRSDC identifies evolution in the labour market.
DF: Have any occupations been added or removed from the NOC over the past six months? If so, what were the reasons behind the amendments?
Since 2001, no new occupations or four-digit unit groups, used for data collection, have been added to the NOC structure. Some new occupation titles were added to the NOC Index of Titles in 2006. The classification system is updated on a five-year schedule aligned with Census cycles. No occupations have been removed from the NOC in the last six months.
Click here to learn more about the National Occupation Classification