For immigration purposes, the main job skill type or levels are:

  • Skill Type 0: occupations related to management, such as factory managers, resort managers, or office managers.
  • Skill Level A: professional occupations that usually need a university degree, such as chemists, veterinarians, or pharmacists.
  • Skill Level B: technical occupations that usually require a college diploma or apprentice training, such as administrative assistants, firefighters, photographers.
  • Skill Level C: intermediate occupation that usually need a high school diploma, such as truck drivers, travel guides, or receptionists.
  • Skill Level D: labour occupation that usually only require training, such as dry cleaners, kitchen helpers, or receptionists.


You have to make sure you are using the 2016 version of the NOC. 2006 and 2011 versions also exist and there are differences with the 2016 version that is currently in use by IRCC.  

To be eligible under the three federal programs of Express Entry, you must have previous work experience under either skill type 0, or level A or B.
 
You can begin by looking into the NOC website and search for the NOC job code whose description would be the most comparable to your current job. You need to base your NOC code search on job duties and not job titles.

Job duties are the most important because when submitting your proof of work experience, it has to include your job duties. IRCC will compare your job duties with those set out in the NOC job code. You should focus on the lead statement (first paragraph) and the main duties in the NOC job code.

Another option would be to use the JobBank website. Find a job opening that matches your current job (or any previous job) and whose job duties match yours. On the job opening page, you can find the corresponding NOC code in the “Job Market Information” page.