By Candy Hui, Case Manager/RCIC
Yesterday, November 16, 2022, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), switched its system for determining your National Occupation Code (“NOC”) from a four digit, skill level structure (NOC 0, A, B, C, and D) to a five digit system broken down into six categories: Training, Education, Experience, Responsibilities required for occupations (“TEER”).
IRCC has updated their program delivery instructions reflecting this change in the following PR categories/programs:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Trades
- Federal Skilled Workers
- Out-of-status Construction workers
- Economic class (non-Express Entry)
They indicate remaining economic lines of business will be updated at a later date. (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/updates/2022-noc.html)
IRCC did a news release yesterday indicating this new TEER system as “solving labour shortages in key sectors like health care, construction, and transportation: workers from 16 new occupations now eligible for permanent residence” (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2022/11/solving-labour-shortages-in-key-sectors-like-health-care-construction-and-transportation-workers-from-16-new-occupations-now-eligible-for-permanent.html)
This all sounds great and dandy, but now it comes down to will they have high enough CRS (Cumulative Ranking Scores) to obtain the Invitation to Apply (“ITA”).
There’s usually an Express Entry draw every two weeks – so the next “predicted” one is next Wednesday (23rd) –everyone will have to remember to update their EE profile (as required by IRCC) with their NOC TEER code.
The last draw was on November 9, 2022 with the lowest ranked candidate to be invited with a CRS score: 494 and 4,750 invitations were sent out. The trend seems to be a decrease in CRS score for invitation and an increased number of invitations since the “no program specified” draws have resumed, but, the scores are still relatively high and people who fall in these 16 new occupations eligible for PR – will they really truly have the scores to obtain a PR ITA? Or is it just a false sense of hope?
In order for lower CRS score candidates but are in the most labour shorted industries to stand a chance, IRCC will need to do NOC specific draws or dramatically increase the number of ITAs per round. We hope IRCC has a plan.
