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From time to time, Canadian immigration applicants may initially apply for permanent residence (PR) with one National Occupation Classification (NOC) code but later decide to switch to a different NOC code during their immigration journey.

For instance, an applicant might start by applying for PR to Canada through one of Canada’s Express Entry-managed programs but later be invited to pursue PR through one of Canada’s 11 Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

Let's take the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) as an example. Imagine a hypothetical candidate named Lincoln, a software developer, who receives a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the OINP under a tech draw.

Lincoln gets his NOI after expressing interest in the federal Express Entry pool. The provincial government reviews his profile and issues him an NOI via an Enhanced PNP because he meets the specific requirements of the OINP tech draw, including having a primary NOC code from the list of OINP-targeted occupations.

At this point, Lincoln can apply for his provincial nomination with the Ontario government. To do so, he must provide supporting documents to the Ontario government, such as reference letters supporting the NOC code he claimed.

Reference letters should come from each employer, allowing the province to verify that his job duties and responsibilities align with the NOC indicated in his federal Express Entry profile – Software Developers and Programmers (NOC 21232).

The candidate's supporting documents are assessed to verify if their job role and responsibilities accurately align with an NOC that is on the province/territory’s targeted occupations list.

What happens next will depend on the outcome of this assessment. If the provincial/territorial government determines that a candidate’s stated NOC does not align with their job’s role/responsibilities, they will assess the candidate's job against other NOC codes.

In scenario 1, if Lincoln's job is assessed to align more closely with a different NOC, his application may still proceed if the new NOC is on the Ontario government’s list of targeted occupations for tech draws. In scenario 2, if Lincoln's assessed NOC is not on Ontario’s targeted occupations list, he will be ineligible for a provincial nomination through the OINP, and his application will be refused.

If applicants realize that their primary NOC has changed before submitting their application for a provincial nomination, they may choose not to proceed with their provincial application as it will be refused as non-eligible. Those who submit their application despite this realization can attempt to withdraw their application but will likely lose out on the processing fees.

After receiving a provincial nomination from Ontario, a change in NOC may impact a candidate’s PR application with the federal government. Candidates with an NOC-specific provincial nomination must maintain the same NOC as their primary occupation to comply with eligibility criteria related to their provincial nomination.

Understanding NOC codes is crucial as they determine eligibility for Canada’s Express Entry system and its economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Each program has specific requirements regarding work experience categorized under different NOC codes.