Last updated: July 2026. NOC 2021 replaced NOC 2016 on November 16, 2022. ResumeRadar's NOC taxonomy is reviewed quarterly for accuracy against ESDC's official database.
Most applicants approach NOC code matching by scanning a list and picking whatever sounds closest to their job title. IRCC immigration officers don't assess job titles. They assess duties.
Get it wrong, and your Express Entry profile can be refused, your CRS points miscalculated, or your application flagged for misrepresentation. Get it right, and your resume, your Express Entry profile, and your employer's reference letters tell the same coherent story — the one IRCC officers need to see.
ResumeRadar is the only AI resume tool built with complete NOC 2021 TEER taxonomy. Upload your resume and within seconds you'll see which of the 516 occupational groups in ESDC's official database best matches your actual work experience, your TEER level, and exactly which duties your current resume is missing.
Read our complete guide to NOC codes in Canada if you're starting from the beginning. Or match your resume to your NOC code now — it's free.
NOC code matching isn't a keyword search. It's a structured comparison between the duties in your resume and the lead statement and main duties of an official NOC 2021 occupational profile. ResumeRadar automates this comparison across all 516 occupations so you don't have to read each one manually.
When you upload your resume, ResumeRadar parses your work history and maps each role against the full ESDC NOC 2021 database — 516 occupational groups, each with a lead statement and defined main duties. The tool scores your match and surfaces the three most plausible NOC codes for each position, including past roles that may qualify under a different NOC code for a multi-occupation Express Entry profile.
After the NOC match, you can optimize your resume for Canadian ATS systems to make sure the right keywords land on the right recruiters' screens.
NOC 2021 organises every occupation into a TEER level — Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities — on a scale from 0 to 5. Your TEER level determines which Express Entry streams you qualify for and how your skilled work experience is calculated for CRS points.
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) requires TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 work experience. Federal Skilled Trades (FST) has its own TEER requirements. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) requires TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 Canadian work experience. ResumeRadar shows your TEER level prominently on every matched occupation so you always know where you stand.
Your resume may describe five years of genuine skilled work experience, but if the language doesn't reflect the official NOC main duties, an IRCC officer has no basis to credit those duties.
ResumeRadar generates a Duty Gap Report for every matched NOC: a side-by-side view of the official main duties and the corresponding language in your current resume. You see exactly which duties to add before you file your Express Entry profile — without copying the NOC description verbatim, which IRCC officers flag as a templated response.
Upload a PDF or Word file, or paste plain text. ResumeRadar's parser extracts every role, duration, employer, and duty statement from your resume (supports PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT).
ResumeRadar's matching engine compares your duty language against all 516 NOC 2021 occupational profiles — not just the ones that match your job title. Many skilled professionals hold titles that don't exist in the NOC but whose duties map clearly to a recognised occupation. The engine returns a ranked list of candidate NOC codes with confidence scores, TEER levels, and the specific duty language that drove each match.
Your results screen shows your top-matched NOC, TEER level, confidence score, and Duty Gap Report. Missing duties are highlighted with suggested resume language drawn from the official NOC profile, which you can apply directly in ResumeRadar's editor.
For a deeper look at the vocabulary Canadian ATS systems expect, read our guide to ATS keywords used by Canadian employers.
Your NOC code drives your stream eligibility, your CRS points, and how IRCC assesses your reference letters. Every part of your application must tell the same story. If your resume says "Project Lead" but your NOC claim is Engineering managers, your resume needs to demonstrate that you directed projects, managed budgets, and supervised staff — not just that you led a team.
ResumeRadar aligns your resume with your NOC profile before you file, so the evidence is there when an officer reviews it. See our resume guide for immigrants to Canada for the full picture.
Many PNP streams draw directly from the Express Entry pool and apply their own NOC eligibility criteria. Others have independent NOC occupation lists. ResumeRadar's TEER matching ensures your resume supports whichever provincial stream your consultant is targeting, because the same duty-verification logic applies across federal and provincial assessments.
Settlement agencies and Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) helping newcomers translate international work experience into Canadian-format resumes face the same NOC alignment challenge at scale. ResumeRadar's Duty Gap Reports give them a structured, repeatable process for bringing client resumes into alignment with IRCC expectations.
ResumeRadar's NOC matching methodology has been reviewed for consistency with IRCC officer assessment practice. Mapped against all 516 NOC 2021 occupations in ESDC's official database, reviewed quarterly for accuracy.
Statistics Canada data shows that 42.2% of recent immigrants cite non-recognition of foreign credentials as their top labour market barrier — a barrier that begins with a resume misaligned to the Canadian system.
ResumeRadar users have matched their resumes to NOC codes across more than 40 countries of origin and every major skilled occupation category — from internationally trained engineers to nurses navigating regulated health occupation streams to software developers confirming their TEER 1 eligibility.
NOC stands for National Occupational Classification — Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) official system for categorising every occupation in Canada. The 2021 update introduced a five-digit code structure and TEER levels (0 through 5), replacing the old NOC 2016 skill level designations (A, B, C, D). For more on what NOC code actually means and why it matters to immigration applicants, see our disambiguation guide. Your NOC code determines which immigration programmes you qualify for and how many Express Entry CRS points your skilled work experience earns.
Search the NOC 2021 database at noc.esdc.gc.ca and match your job duties — not your job title — to the lead statement and main duties of an occupation. IRCC assesses what you did, not what your employer called you. ResumeRadar automates this comparison: upload your resume and the tool identifies the gap between your current resume language and the official NOC duty descriptions in the ESDC database, so you know exactly what to add before filing your Express Entry profile.
NOC 2021 (effective November 16, 2022) replaced the four-digit code with a five-digit code and introduced TEER levels (0 through 5) in place of the old skill levels A/B/C/D. TEER 0 through 3 occupations qualify for most economic immigration streams. Old NOC 2016 codes do not map one-to-one to NOC 2021 — many occupations were merged, split, or recategorised. Always verify your current NOC 2021 code before submitting an Express Entry profile.
Yes. IRCC allows work experience claims under multiple NOC codes if you genuinely performed those duties and meet the minimum hours threshold for each — typically 1,560 hours (one year full-time equivalent) per NOC code. Your resume must contain language that matches the lead statement and main duties for each NOC code you claim. ResumeRadar's multi-role analysis identifies each applicable NOC code across your full work history and generates a separate Duty Gap Report for each.
Not word-for-word, but your resume must clearly demonstrate the main duties listed under your claimed NOC occupation. IRCC officers compare your described duties to the official NOC profile — if key duties are absent, your experience claim is weakened regardless of years in the field. Use duty language from the NOC description without verbatim copying (officers flag templated responses). ResumeRadar's Duty Gap Report shows exactly which required duties are missing.
Whether you're filing an Express Entry profile, applying through a provincial stream, or preparing a Canadian resume for the first time, ResumeRadar gives you a verified NOC code match against all 516 NOC 2021 occupations and a clear plan for closing duty gaps before you apply.
Match My Resume to My NOC Code — Free — get your NOC match, TEER level, and Duty Gap Report in under two minutes.
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NOC stands for National Occupational Classification, the system Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) uses to categorize every occupation in the country. The 2021 update introduced 5-digit codes and TEER levels (0–5) that replaced the old skill levels A/B/C/D, and your NOC code determines which immigration programs you qualify for and how many Express Entry CRS points your work experience earns.
Search the NOC 2021 database at noc.esdc.gc.ca and match your job duties — not your job title — to the lead statement and main duties of an occupation, because IRCC assesses duties, not titles. ResumeRadar automates this comparison and clearly identifies gaps between your resume language and the official NOC duty descriptions in the ESDC database.
NOC 2021, effective November 16, 2022, replaced the 4-digit code structure with 5-digit codes and introduced TEER levels 0–5, replacing the old skill level A/B/C/D designations, with TEER 0–3 qualifying for most economic immigration streams. Old NOC 2016 codes do not map one-to-one to NOC 2021, so you should always verify your current code before submitting an Express Entry profile.
Yes — IRCC allows work experience claims under multiple NOC codes if you genuinely performed those duties and meet the minimum hours threshold, typically 1,560 hours (one year full-time) per code. Your resume must contain language that matches the lead statement and main duties for each NOC code you claim.
Not word-for-word, but your resume must clearly demonstrate the main duties listed under your claimed NOC occupation, since IRCC officers compare your described duties directly to the official NOC profile. ResumeRadar shows you exactly which required duties are absent from your current resume so you can address gaps before you apply.
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