NOC 31203: Occupational therapists

NOC 31203 is the NOC 2021 unit group for occupational therapists, with job titles such as occupational therapist (OT), clinical occupational therapist and community occupational therapist. 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.

31203

Unit group 31203: occupational therapists. This is the code you put on your application.

NOC 31203 job description: occupational therapist (OT) duties and responsibilities

  • Analyse clients' capabilities and expectations related to life activities through observation, interviews and formal assessments
  • Develop intervention programs to address clients' needs related to self-care, work and leisure activities
  • Maintain clients' records
  • Establish personalized care plans working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
  • Consult and advise on health promotion programs to prevent disabilities and to maximize independent function in all activities of life
  • May supervise support personnel and students and provide training.

Job titles under NOC 31203

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

Is NOC 31203 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 31203
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 31203 is on IRCC's Healthcare and social services 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 31203: common questions

What is NOC 31203?

NOC 31203 is the code for occupational therapists 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 31203?

NOC 31203 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 31203 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 31203 in a category-based Express Entry draw?

Yes. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 31203 is in the healthcare and social services category. 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 31203 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 an occupational therapist (OT)?

Occupational therapist (OT) is listed under NOC 31203, occupational therapists. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 31203.

How do I know if NOC 31203 is my NOC code?

Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 31203, 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.