NOC 31101: Specialists in surgery

NOC 31101 is the NOC 2021 unit group for specialists in surgery, with job titles such as cardiac surgeon, general surgeon and plastic surgeon. It is a TEER 1 occupation in broad category 3, health occupations.

TEER 1Broad category 3NOC 2021

Decode the code

Pick a level to see what each digit means.

31101

Unit group 31101: specialists in surgery. This is the code you put on your application.

NOC 31101 job description: cardiac surgeon duties and responsibilities

  • Treat diseases, injuries, and deformities by invasive, minimally-invasive, or non-invasive surgical methods, such as using instruments, appliances, or by manual manipulation.
  • Provide medical care related to pregnancy or childbirth. Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of women, particularly those affecting the reproductive system. May also provide general medical care to women. May perform both medical and gynecological surgery functions.
  • Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries of the eyes and related structures.
  • Diagnose, treat, and help prevent benign and malignant medical and surgical disorders of the genitourinary system and the renal glands.
  • Assess patients' diseases or disorders to determine appropriate surgical procedures
  • Perform and supervise surgical procedures to correct physical abnormalities and deficiencies and repair injuries
  • Act as consultants to other physicians.

Job titles under NOC 31101

See every job title and its code in the A–Z job title index, or all TEER 1 jobs.

Is NOC 31101 eligible for Express Entry?

By TEER, yes. TEER 1 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.

Federal program TEER requirements for NOC 31101
ProgramTEER checkWhy
Federal Skilled WorkerTEER qualifiesTEER 1 is within TEER 0 to 3
Canadian Experience ClassTEER qualifiesTEER 1 is within TEER 0 to 3
Federal Skilled TradesNot a listed tradeOnly certain trade groups qualify. Check IRCC
Spouse's open work permitQualifiesAll TEER 1 jobs qualify. SOWP rules

Category-based draws: NOC 31101 is on IRCC's Healthcare and social services, Physicians list (checked 2026-10-16). Under NOC 2016, TEER 1 was skill level A ("NOC A").

Category-based Express Entry draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists. Check the current lists on IRCC's Express Entry page and provincial nominee page.

NOC 31101: common questions

What is NOC 31101?

NOC 31101 is the code for specialists in surgery in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021). Its first digit, 3, is the broad category and its second digit, 1, is the TEER level. Immigration forms, job offers and LMIA applications use this five-digit code.

What TEER is NOC 31101?

NOC 31101 is TEER 1. Occupations that usually need a university degree. Under the older NOC 2016 system, TEER 1 lines up with skill level A.

Is NOC 31101 eligible for Express Entry and PR?

By TEER, yes. TEER 1 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.

Is NOC 31101 in a category-based Express Entry draw?

Yes. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 31101 is in the healthcare and social services and physicians categories. Category-based draws invite candidates with at least 6 months of continuous work experience in one of the listed occupations, and IRCC updates the lists from time to time.

Is NOC 31101 eligible for a spousal open work permit (SOWP)?

Yes. All TEER 1 jobs qualify, so a worker in this job can support a spouse's open work permit, as long as their own work permit has at least 16 months left when the spouse applies (IRCC page modified 2026-06-12).

What is the NOC code for a cardiac surgeon?

Cardiac surgeon is listed under NOC 31101, specialists in surgery. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 31101.

How do I know if NOC 31101 is my NOC code?

Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 31101, not just your job title. IRCC expects your duties to match the lead statement and most of the main duties of the code you choose. If they fit another code better, use that one. You can paste your duties into nocfinder to see how they line up, duty by duty.

Source: ESDC NOC 2021 · IRCC program pages. Not legal advice.