When industries in Canada have difficulty finding workers, they turn to immigration. There are more options than you may think when immigrating to Canada if you work in a NOC C or D occupation.
Currently, Canada uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to determine an occupation’s skill level. Find your NOC by clicking here. Later this year, Canada will use the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system in place of the NOC system.
Canada has primarily focused on entry for NOC 0, A, and B occupations through the Express Entry system. In other words, entry for those seeking to fill occupations that generally require a University or College diploma. However, in recent years, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have been more interested in filling labor shortages classified under NOC C and D. This effort was most recently seen with Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathways. The Canadian government has made efforts to help immigrants during the pandemic.
Examples of NOC C occupations include industrial butchers, long-haul truck drivers, and food and beverage servers. NOC D occupations include fruit pickers, cleaning staff, and oil field workers.
Below are some of the pathways to permanent residence for people with job offers and work experience in NOC C and D:
- Various Provincial Nominee Programs
- Quebec’s Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Workers in Food Processing
- The Atlantic Immigration Pilot
- The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
- The Agri-food Immigration Pilot
- The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot