What TEER levels count as skilled work for Express Entry?

Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class count paid work in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. TEER 4 and 5 work generally does not qualify as skilled experience for those programs. Federal Skilled Trades is limited to specific trade groups.

How do I find my NOC code?

Search your actual duties — not just the job title — on IRCC’s Find your NOC page, then open the same five-digit code on the ESDC NOC 2021 Version 1.0 site. The lead statement and most main duties must match the work you did.

What does the second digit of a NOC 2021 code mean?

In NOC 2021, the second digit is the TEER category. For example, 21231 is TEER 1; 63200 is TEER 3.

Guide

How to read your NOC code — TEER explained

Express Entry does not score “software” or “hospitality.” It scores a five-digit NOC 2021 code and the TEER attached to it. Pick the code whose duties match the work you actually did. A title on a business card is not enough, and a TEER 4 job will not become skilled work because the hours were long.

Track hours against a NOC

Digit NOC 2021 codes

Since Nov 2022

0–3

Skilled TEER for FSW & CEC

2nd

Digit is the TEER

e.g. 21231 → TEER 1

TEER is a training level, not a prestige ranking

Canada switched Express Entry to the 2021 National Occupational Classification on 16 November 2022. The old skill types 0, A, B, C, and D became TEER 0 through 5 — Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. TEER describes what the occupation usually requires, not whether the job is “good.”

NOC 2021 TEER categories with IRCC examples
TEER	What it usually requires	IRCC examples
0	Management occupations	Financial managers; advertising and marketing managers
1	Usually a university degree	Software engineers; financial advisors
2	College, 2+ year apprenticeship, or supervisory	Computer network technicians; medical lab technologists
3	Shorter college/apprenticeship or 6+ months on the job	Bakers; dental assistants
4	High school or several weeks of training	Retail salespersons; home child care providers
5	Short demonstration, no formal education required	Delivery drivers; landscaping labourers

Which TEER counts for Express Entry

Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class treat paid work in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 as skilled. Hours in TEER 4 or 5 do not count toward those programs, even if you logged them carefully. Federal Skilled Trades is narrower: only listed trade groups, mostly TEER 2 and 3. Category-based rounds can be narrower still — they use occupation lists, not “any skilled NOC.”

CEC language minimums also follow TEER. TEER 0 or 1 work needs CLB / NCLC 7 in all four abilities. TEER 2 or 3 work needs CLB / NCLC 5. Choosing a more senior-sounding code you cannot defend can raise the language bar and still fail a duties check.

How to pick the code without guessing

Search your real duties — tools used, people supervised, decisions made — on IRCC’s Find your NOC page. Write down the five-digit code and TEER.
Open the same code on noc.esdc.gc.ca, version NOC 2021 Version 1.0.
Read the lead statement, main duties, employment requirements, and exclusions. IRCC expects you to have performed the actions in the lead statement and most of the main duties — not a nearby title that sounds similar.
If the duties do not match, search again. Do not keep a code because a coworker used it or because an older NOC 2016 four-digit code used to look right.

The second digit of a 2021 code is the TEER. 10010 (financial managers) is TEER 0. 21231 (software engineers and designers) is TEER 1. 63200 (cooks) is TEER 3. If you still have a four-digit code from before November 2022, look up the 2021 equivalent — do not pad a zero or guess.

Titles lie; letters have to match

“Analyst,” “coordinator,” and “associate” appear under several TEERs. Officers compare the employment letter to the NOC profile, then to pay records. A letter that copies the NOC duties word-for-word but does not match what you were paid to do is a common problem. A letter that only lists a title, with no hours, dates, or duties, is the other common problem.

If you changed jobs, each role can have its own code. CEC hours only count in TEER 0–3 work, with a weekly cap — see how CEC hours are counted. Mixing a TEER 4 retail job into the same total will inflate a spreadsheet and fail a review.

Log hours against the code you will claim

The hours tracker lets you attach skilled Canadian work to a NOC. Use the same code you will put in Express Entry, then keep the employment letter language consistent with that profile.

Open hours calculator

Official sources

Figures and rules in this guide are checked against IRCC program pages. If anything conflicts, trust the government page.

Wrong NOC, wasted hours

Confirm the code before you treat 1,560 hours as done. Then convert language scores against the TEER that code actually carries.

Track CEC hours

Canadian PRLedger is a free tracking and calculator tool — not a law firm, not an RCIC practice, and not affiliated with IRCC. These guides summarize public program rules for planning purposes only. For case-specific advice, speak with a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer.