Do You Qualify For Express Entry System's Education Category?
March 24, 2025
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The Express Entry system is Canada’s primary pathway for skilled workers seeking Canadian permanent residency, and education plays a significant role in determining eligibility. Applicants can earn points for their educational qualifications, but not all credentials are recognized equally under the system. Knowing the specific requirements can help you plan your application effectively, whether you completed your education inside or outside Canada.
In this blog, we break down the education category of Express Entry, guiding you through the key qualifications and steps to improve your eligibility.
Canada’s Express Entry Construction Category
Canada's Express Entry system, a pathway to permanent residence, has expanded to include education professionals. Research indicates that category-based draws, introduced in 2023, prioritize specific occupations facing labor shortages, evidenced by lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-offs compared to general draws. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), on February 27, 2025, designated education as a key category, acknowledging the sector's critical need.
This strategic move aims to attract foreign-trained educators, including schoolteachers and early childhood educators, addressing Canada's growing demand. Prioritizing these occupations aligns with studies highlighting the positive impact of skilled immigration on economic growth and social development. This focused approach facilitates a more efficient selection process, directly targeting essential professions.
Occupations Part of the Express Entry Education Category
Canada's Express Entry education category aligns with the National Occupational Classification (NOC), a standardized system for categorizing occupations. Research emphasizes the NOC's role in streamlining immigration by identifying in-demand skills. The Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) system, part of the NOC, ranks occupations based on required qualifications, with TEER 0 representing the highest skill level.
Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the TEER system in matching immigrant skills to labor market needs. The Express Entry education category specifically targets occupations within defined TEER levels, facilitating the selection of qualified educators. This targeted approach, supported by labor market analysis, ensures that immigrants contribute to Canada's educational sector. Using NOC codes and TEER levels provides a transparent and data-driven selection process.
| Occupation | 2021 NOC Code | 2021 TEER Category |
| Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants | 43100 | 3 |
| Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | 2 |
| Early Childhood Educators and Assistants | 42202 | 2 |
| Elementary School and Kindergarten Teachers | 41221 | 1 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 41220 | 1 |
Determining If Your Work Experience is Eligible For Express Entry Category
Finding the proper NOC code for your Canadian work experience is vital for determining your eligibility under the Express Entry system. The Government of Canada provides official resources to help applicants match their job responsibilities with the correct NOC code, which is essential for earning CRS points.
Steps to Identify the Correct NOC Code
Accurately identifying the correct NOC code is vital for Canadian immigration applications, directly impacting eligibility and points awarded. This process requires a detailed understanding of your job duties and responsibilities, aligning them precisely with the NOC's descriptions to ensure compliance with IRCC requirements.
- Use the Government of Canada’s NOC Page: Start by visiting the official NOC database provided by IRCC. The NOC system classifies jobs based on skill levels and duties, helping applicants match their experience accurately.
- Search for Your Job Title: Use the search function by entering your job title in the “Filter items” field at the bottom of the NOC page. If your exact job title does not appear, try alternative titles. For example, if “a speech coach” is unavailable, try “speech pathologist.”
- Find the Closest Match: Once a relevant job title appears, note the TEER category and the NOC code number associated with it.
- Verify the NOC Code Details: To confirm the accuracy of the match, visit the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) website and enter the identified NOC code. Carefully review the main duties section to ensure they align closely with your responsibilities.
- Check Eligibility for Express Entry: If your occupation falls under a qualifying TEER level, it may be eligible for Express Entry. Occupations within TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 typically qualify for programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
- Refine Your Search if Needed: If the duties listed under the selected NOC code do not match your experience, return to step one and try different job titles until you find the best fit.
This table provides a list of job titles for eligible education occupations.
| NOC Occupation Title | Examples of Job Titles |
|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants | Educational assistant |
| Educational resources assistant | |
| Homework assistant | |
| Remedial education aide | |
| Special education assistant | |
| Instructors of Persons With Disabilities | Braille instructor |
| Instructor of persons with a mobility impairment | |
| Instructor of persons who are deaf | |
| Instructor of persons who are hard of hearing | |
| Instructor of persons with a learning disability | |
| Instructor of persons with a visual impairment | |
| Instructor of persons with special needs | |
| Lip-reading instructor | |
| Orientation and mobility instructor | |
| Sign language instructor | |
| Teacher for persons with intellectual disabilities | |
| Early Childhood Educators and Assistants | Child care worker - daycare |
| Child care worker assistant | |
| Daycare helper | |
| Daycare supervisor | |
| Daycare worker | |
| Early childhood assistant | |
| Early childhood education worker | |
| Early childhood educator - preschool | |
| Early childhood educator (ECE) | |
| Early childhood program staff assistant | |
| Early childhood supervisor | |
| Preschool helper | |
| Preschool supervisor | |
| Elementary School and Kindergarten Teachers | English as a second language elementary school teacher |
| French as a second language elementary school teacher | |
| French immersion teacher - elementary school | |
| Kindergarten teacher | |
| Primary school teacher | |
| Remedial teacher - elementary school | |
| Special education teacher - elementary school | |
| Special education teacher - primary school | |
| Supply teacher - elementary school | |
| Teacher-librarian - elementary school | |
| Secondary School Teachers | Adult education teacher - secondary school |
| Biology teacher - secondary school | |
| Commerce teacher - secondary school | |
| English as a second language (ESL) high school teacher | |
| English teacher - secondary school | |
| French as a second language teacher - secondary school | |
| History teacher - secondary school | |
| Librarian-teacher - high school | |
| Remedial teacher - secondary school | |
| Secondary school department head | |
| Secondary school teacher | |
| Special education teacher - secondary school | |
| Supply high school teacher | |
| Trades instructor - secondary school | |
| Vocational teacher - secondary school |
Using Your Work Experience to Determine Your NOC Code and Job Title
To qualify under the education category in Express Entry, foreign nationals must have at least six months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) Canadian work experience in a single eligible occupation within the past three years. Identifying the correct NOC code is vital, as eligibility depends on whether your job aligns with one of the designated education occupations.
The NOC system categorizes jobs based on duties and experience levels, helping applicants determine their correct job title. Accurately matching your work experience to an eligible NOC ensures compliance with Express Entry requirements and strengthens your application for Canadian immigration.
How Does the Express Entry Education Category Draw Work in Canada?
IRCC conducts bi-weekly draws to invite candidates with competitive CRS scores to apply for permanent residence. The types of draws include:
- Program-specific draws (limited to one Express Entry program),
- General draws (open to candidates from all programs),
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-based draws (targeting provincial nominees), and
- Category-based draws (focusing on specific occupations or attributes).
Category-based draws target applicants with work experience in eligible occupations. These draws often have lower CRS cut-off scores, making it easier for qualified candidates to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Determining Your NOC Code and Job Title
Candidates must accurately classify their work experience under the NOC system to be considered for category-based draws. To find the correct NOC code, follow these steps:
- Visit the Government of Canada’s NOC webpage,
- Enter your job title in the search field and find the closest match,
- Copy the corresponding TEER level and NOC code,
- Verify the primary duties associated with that NOC code on the ESDC website, and
- Ensure that your job responsibilities align with those under the NOC code.
Candidates are eligible for multiple draw types once accepted into the Express Entry pool. A candidate qualifying under a category-based draw may also be selected under general or program-specific draws, maximizing their chances of receiving an ITA.
FAQs
What Happens if My ECA Shows That My Education is Not Equivalent to Canadian Standards?
If your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reveals that your foreign education is not equivalent to Canadian standards, you will not receive points for that education within the Express Entry system. This means that the points that would have been allocated to that education level will be zero. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that the educational credential being assessed is done by an organization designated by IRCC.
Can I Claim Points For More Than One Educational Credential?
Yes, you can claim points for more than one educational credential, provided you have an ECA for each one. This allows you to maximize your CRS score by including all your qualifying educational achievements. It is generally recommended that you get an ECA for the highest level of education you have obtained.
Does Work Experience Impact my Education Points?
While work experience and education points are separate components of the CRS, they do interact to influence your overall score. Specifically, strong work experience and higher education can significantly boost your CRS score. Therefore, while work experience does not directly change the value of education points, it is a combined factor that creates the total CRS score.