Primary Occupation Question

[411]

Hi all,

If you have several years of experience, how do you decide which primary occupation to base your application on.
Am also curious to know how this occupation affects my application.
I have a degree in Public Affairs and Policy Mgt form a Canadian institution but I work in a completely different field from my degree.
I have 1 year and 2 months in NOC B occupation.

Thanks all!

 

[riddymon]

I'd say look back at your work experience plus your current job, consider the common duties and base your primary occupation around that. I could imagine it would be tough if you've bounced around to different jobs. I wouldn't worry about the difference in degree from your field of work, it happens...as long as your NOC 0,A,B..you should be alright.

 

[Asivad Anac]

Hi all,

If you have several years of experience, how do you decide which primary occupation to base your application on.
Am also curious to know how this occupation affects my application.
I have a degree in Public Affairs and Policy Mgt form a Canadian institution but I work in a completely different field from my degree.
I have 1 year and 2 months in NOC B occupation.

Thanks all!

Primary NOC affects the FSW score - you get points based on the number of years of experience you have in that particular NOC. It doesn't appear to play any other role in your application.

If you have experience under multiple NOCs, choose the one where you have the most amount of experience as your Primary NOC.

 

[411]

Hi Asivad,

Thanks for the response! The role that I have most experience in was seven years ago. CIC says that Your primary occupation means the job you have experience in (within the last five years) and want to base your immigration application on, if you are invited to apply.
So should I just go ahead and use that experience as the primary occupation?
Even though its a Noc 0113 job, I didn't need a degree to get the job. Would they want ECAs for my high school?

Thanks a lot for taking time to respond!

 

[Asivad Anac]

Hi Asivad,

Thanks for the response! The role that I have most experience in was seven years ago. CIC says that Your primary occupation means the job you have experience in (within the last five years) and want to base your immigration application on, if you are invited to apply.
So should I just go ahead and use that experience as the primary occupation?
Even though its a Noc 0113 job, I didn't need a degree to get the job. Would they want ECAs for my high school?

Thanks a lot for taking time to respond!

I imagine that the primary occupation is somehow different from the primary NOC (though I don't understand how) because EE allows you to showcase experience over the last 10 years. Try inputting your primary NOC from that 7 years old experience and see if the systems allows you to get away with that. You won't need an ECA from the high school.

 

[Hypermilantix]

Primary NOC affects the FSW score - you get points based on the number of years of experience you have in that particular NOC. It doesn't appear to play any other role in your application.

If you have experience under multiple NOCs, choose the one where you have the most amount of experience as your Primary NOC.

Hello Asivad/Expert member,
I knock in this old thread as this might match with my problem. I got ita 22nd December. Could you please clarify the following issues:
I have experience in two category: FSW: 2 years: NOC 4011(i mentioned this noc in my primary occupation)
CEC: 1 Year: NOC 1311(i got invitation in this category)currently i am employed with this job
Lately, after getting ITA, i noticed one requirement for primary occupation which is "any other job, this is the date they first obtained the minimum education or training stated in the NOC description. (Note: if the NOC only states high school, this is the date they graduated.)" As i got my Primary occupation's experience from home country where my educational/professional degree was good enough to do NOC 4011. But according to CIC, the "employment requirement" is little bit high or did not have at that time when i did job in this NOC 4011(though i have that qualification now). Can i just switch my primary occupation after getting ITA from NOC 4011(FSW) to NOC 1311(CEC)?Is this going to affect my CRS score? Is it allowed? Please suggest me.

Another issue is that I applied for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) in November 9,2015 after my graduation and i started full time job in this date. But my PGWP was issued at Feb 19, 2016. So is this "time" implied status? Will the experience in this time be counted for CEC?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[s.tamoor]

Hello All

Sorry about the long question I've tried to keep it as precise as I could

Before my question below are my details

Education - MSc Accounting & Finance- (passing year 2015) BA Accounting- passing year (2010), BCOM -2005

Work Exp - Call Centre Supervisor (Skill Level B) - NOC 6314 (2 years experience 2013-2015)
Completion of college or industry courses related to bookkeeping and customer services may be required.

Accounts Executive (Skill Level B) - NOC 1131 (1 year experience Nov 2015- till date)
Completion of a college program in accounting, bookkeeping or a related field

So can you please advise which NOC should I select as Primary Expereince the one I am currently employed in and is related with my studies or the one in which I've more experience in?
And Secondly what date should I mention where it asks when did I become qualified for this job because I've gained more education then required for both NOC

Thnx in advance

Regards

 

[williameyidi]

Hi all,

If you have several years of experience, how do you decide which primary occupation to base your application on.
Am also curious to know how this occupation affects my application.
I have a degree in Public Affairs and Policy Mgt form a Canadian institution but I work in a completely different field from my degree.
I have 1 year and 2 months in NOC B occupation.

Thanks all!

As long as the jobs fall under the NOCs O, A or B you and you can back it up, just choose what you have the most experience with as the primary job to apply.

 

[specialmary]

I imagine that the primary occupation is somehow different from the primary NOC (though I don't understand how) because EE allows you to showcase experience over the last 10 years. Try inputting your primary NOC from that 7 years old experience and see if the systems allows you to get away with that. You won't need an ECA from the high school.

Hi Asivad,

Primary occupation is the same as primary NOC, because CIC see each NOC representing one occupation. If my understanding is correct, what you put in the primary NOC does not matter - it just need to be one-year full-time paid continuous work (or, equivalent part-time paid continuous work) and that NOC has to be in Category O, A, or B. Having this one-year experience make you eligible for Federal Skilled Worker.

For work experience point calculation, CIC just add up all the work experiences that are in category O, A, or B. Once you have met the eligibility requirement (in one-year continuous work in your primary job code), the length of your any other jobs do not matter.

When I applied, I put the job experience that has the strongest letter - a letter that almost completely match the NOC job description. In this way, I ensured myself that I met the basic eligibility requirement for Federal Skilled Worker.

However, for PNP (e.g., Ontario), they may look at your primary job code to select invitee. So, it may make sense to put attractive, high-demand occupation as primary job code.

 

[Asivad Anac]

Hi Asivad,

Primary occupation is the same as primary NOC, because CIC see each NOC representing one occupation. If my understanding is correct, what you put in the primary NOC does not matter - it just need to be one-year full-time paid continuous work (or, equivalent part-time paid continuous work) and that NOC has to be in Category O, A, or B. Having this one-year experience make you eligible for Federal Skilled Worker.

For work experience point calculation, CIC just add up all the work experiences that are in category O, A, or B. Once you have met the eligibility requirement (in one-year continuous work in your primary job code), the length of your any other jobs do not matter.

When I applied, I put the job experience that has the strongest letter - a letter that almost completely match the NOC job description. In this way, I ensured myself that I met the basic eligibility requirement for Federal Skilled Worker.

However, for PNP (e.g., Ontario), they may look at your primary job code to select invitee. So, it may make sense to put attractive, high-demand occupation as primary job code.

What was your FSW score?

 

[specialmary]

What was your FSW score?

Whichever noc code I used, I got the same FSW scores. For eligibility for processing requirement, FSW does not look at the length of work exp in primary noc once it is longer than one year.

Primary noc and point calculation are two different things under FSW.

 

[Asivad Anac]

Whichever noc code I used, I got the same FSW scores. For eligibility for processing requirement, FSW does not look at the length of work exp in primary noc once it is longer than one year.

Primary noc and point calculation are two different things under FSW.

How do you know that? FSW scale awards points for experience acquired under a specific NOC. CRS points are a different matter.

 

[specialmary]

Hi Asivad,

Below is the instruction regarding minimum work requirement for FSW (http://www.ci.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/perm/econ/fsw/minimum.asp):
--------------------------------
The applicant must have accumulated at least one year of continuous full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) paid work experience in the occupation identified in their application for permanent residence as their primary occupation. In calculating this period of work experience, the occupation must be listed in skill type 0 (Managerial occupations), skill level A (Professional occupations) or skill level B (Technical occupations and skilled trades) of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2011 [R75(2)(a)].
----------------------------

Below is the instruction regarding awarding FSW points (notice the word 'occupations' instead of 'occupation'):
------------------------------
To be eligible for points, the applicant’s work experience must (http://www.ci.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/perm/econ/fsw/work.asp):

To be eligible for points, the applicant’s work experience must:
-have occurred during the 10 years immediately preceding the date of application;
-have been acquired in occupations listed at Skill Type 0 (Managerial occupations), Skill Level A (Professional occupations) or B (Technical occupations and skilled trades) of NOC 2011;
-not be in an occupation that has been designated by the Minister as a restricted occupation; and
-have been full-time paid work (or the equivalent in paid part-time work).
---------------------

So the minimum requirement for processing is actually different from FSW points. For FSW points, there is nowhere saying that the work experience has to come from one job or the work experience has to be at least one year.

CRS points, however, is a totally different thing from min requirement for processing and from FSW points.

You may actually read the law regarding FSW yourself:

About minimum work requirement:
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/page-16.html#docCont

About work experience calculation:
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/section-80.html

Again, minimum work requirement has nothing to do with work experience calculation under FSW.

 

[Hypermilantix]

I remember having a long debate with Asivad about exactly this subject and I thought we had settled it, but for some reason he seems to have reverted to his opinion that FSW points are awarded for one occupation only.

I agree with specialmary that this is not the case - thanks for digging out these regulations. The only relevance of the primary occupation is to ensure the applicant meets the minimum work requirement.

Dear Dan_and/other Expert Member,
Based on above discussion, could you please clarify the following issue:
So to claim points for Foreign work experience, we don't need to full fill the "employment requirements" for Foreign work experience. It is found from the Note of "Minimum Work Experience Requirement" of Assessing Federal Skill Workers. That foreign work experience could be your primary occupations as well.
But confusion arises when we are going to fill out the form of Express entry profile. Under the Primary occupation, it is written like this:"any other job, this is the date they first obtained the minimum education or training stated in the NOC description. (Note: if the NOC only states high school, this is the date they graduated.)"
Isn't it contradictory??? Do i need to fulfill the "employment requirements" to claim it primary occupations(I have only one foreign work experience continuous two years job)???? Please suggest.

Lately i got ITA under Canadian Experience Class (CEC). But for my primary occupations that is foreign work experience(two years continuous job in one noc), i didn't have "employment requirements" at that time of my experience as our country's regulation is different from NOC "employment requirments". But i have that specific degree now.My query is :
1) I got ITA under CEC program? Are they going to assess me under Federal Skill Program?
2) I don't have "Employment requirements" at that time for my primary occupations. Is this going to be a reason for my refusal for my PR application? (i am in dilemma about this issue. Should i decline ITA only for this issue or i should go forward positively for my PR application)
Even i don't get any point for "primary occupation" BUT i got point for my foreign work experience that is exempted from "employment requirements"
Please suggest me about this issue.

 

[Asivad Anac]

I remember having a long debate with Asivad about exactly this subject and I thought we had settled it, but for some reason he seems to have reverted to his opinion that FSW points are awarded for one occupation only.

I agree with specialmary that this is not the case - thanks for digging out these regulations. The only relevance of the primary occupation is to ensure the applicant meets the minimum work requirement.

Thanks for the reminder!

I'm not entirely certain if we settled the debate on a specific situation wherein applicants have 'qualifying' experience on more than 1 NOC. They could still get an 'ineligible' profile by choosing one of those NOCs where they have lesser points for work experience (say 9 instead of 11/13/15 for the other NOC) while continuing to be eligible when choosing the other NOC. Is that a possibility? I recall that being a challenge for a number of users. If all NOC experience was available for securing those 9/11/13/15 points, turn simply changing Primary NOC wouldn't cause ineligibility unless the applicant has less than 1 year experience with the new Primary NOC.