One of the largest qualifying factors of the Federal Skilled Worker Program is the applicant’s experience.

You can get points for the number of years you have spent in full-time paid work (at least 30 hours per week or an equal amount of part-time).

National Occupational Classification (NOC)

In order to determine what experience is relevant with respect to your occupation, you will need to refer to the National Occupational Classification or NOC. The NOC is a system used to classify jobs in the Canadian economy. It describes duties, skills, talents and work settings for different jobs. CIC uses the 2011 edition of the NOC to assess skilled worker applications.

Finding your NOC Category

The easiest way to find your category is to

• go to the National Occupational Classification website,
• At the bottom of the page, you will find the Quick Search box on the left-hand side; put the name of your occupation, and search

This will give you some options. Check if any of them seem to be the right occupation. If this does not work:

• Go back to the beginning and refine your search
• choose the option that sounds most like your field, and
• see if any of the occupations on the list match your occupation.

If the description and list of main duties match what you did at your last job(s), you can count this experience for points.

Use this chart to find the number of points based on your number of years of experience.

Experience	Maximum 15 points
1 year	9
2-3 years	11
4-5 years	13
6 or more years	15

When considering which occupation works best for you, do not concern yourself too much with the job title of an occupation. These titles are interchangeable and are often unique amongst many different occupations. You will need to review the job duties in order to determine whether or not you meet the qualifications of being classified with this position.

For example, a Sales Manager with a large company might have differing duties from a sales manager with a start-up business. They have the same job title but different or varying duties. The Sales Manager from the start-up business might review the NOC and see that her duties coincide with that of an Administrator.

This means that, even though the title of your position might be Sales Manager if your duties reflect that of an Administrator, then that would be your classification and, therefore, the NOC you would use first to determine your eligibility and then work and educational experience.

Utilizing the NOC matrix can be complex, especially since there is never really any absolute certainty that you have found the correct NOC. Knowing where and how to look can mean all the difference, especially when considering the alternative. If you build an application based on the incorrect or inappropriate NOC, you risk having your application refused.

Akrami & Associates has helped countless individuals with multiple matters that involve utilizing the NOC. Let us assess your work experience to determine the most appropriate NOC for you.